The chamber was eerily quiet as we stared at the ruin grader looming before us. It was far larger than any I'd imagined, with a crimson eye that glowed like a burning furnace, encircled by tendrils of crackling Abyssal energy. A chill ran down my spine, but I shoved the feeling aside. I'd faced down worse before; I could handle this. We could handle this.
"Of course, it had to be one of these," I muttered, gripping my sword tighter. "Can't we ever catch a break?" I read about these things before, war machines from a lost nation: Khanerah? Kaenru? Whatever, something similar to that.
Beside me, Aether's eyes narrowed, his expression serious. "This thing's not going down easily," he said, his tone calm but resolute. "But we've got this. We just need to stay focused."
Paimon hovered near Aether, her small frame trembling with fear. "This thing looks even scarier up close! Paimon really wishes we could've brought a ballista or something!" she squeaked, darting glances between us, looking for reassurance.
"We'll make do with what we have," Lisa replied coolly, her eyes fixed on the ruin grader. "Stay calm, everyone."
"Everyone, on me," Kaeya called out, his voice cutting through the tension. His gaze was sharp, calculating the battlefield in an instant. I kind of forgot that he was the Cavalry Captain, he has experience leading a group of people "Here's the plan: Aether and Tayden, you're on the legs. We need to take out its mobility first. Lisa, Amber, support us from a distance and aim for its weak points. I'll handle crowd control."
Paimon drifted closer to Aether's shoulder, gulping nervously. "Paimon will... uh, help too! Just don't get squished, okay?"
Aether nodded, moving into a low stance, sword ready. "We're good to go," he said, glancing at me. I gave him a quick nod in return. We'd been through enough together to read each other's movements. We'd take this thing down, no matter how big or tough it was.
"Ready when you are," I said, feeling the Abyssal energy clawing at me. My regeneration was already working overtime, burning through my strength. I shoved the discomfort aside; this was just another fight. I could deal with it.
Without another word, we sprang into action. Aether raised his hand, summoning a gust of wind beneath us. The sudden rush of Anemo energy pushed us forward, our feet barely skimming the ground as we shot toward the ruin grader's legs. The wind howled around us, whipping past as we closed the distance in seconds.
I tightened my grip on my sword, the metal warming as I let my blood coat the blade, igniting it in a blaze of red-hot flames. Beside me, Aether moved with fluid precision, his eyes locked onto the grader's leg joints. I caught a glimpse of the ruin grader's eye tracking our movements, glowing brighter as it prepared to strike.
"Hit the left joint!" I called out, zeroing in on the vulnerable spot where the metal plates overlapped. My muscles coiled as I swung my sword, pouring my strength into the strike. The blade collided with the grader's leg with a sharp clang, a trail of fiery sparks dancing along the metal. My flames seared into the joint, leaving a deep, smoking gash behind.
Aether followed up seamlessly. With a deft twist of his wrist, he directed a burst of wind around his blade. The air spiraled into a cutting vortex as he slashed at the same spot I'd just struck. The force of his Anemo-infused blow intensified the flames still burning in the gash, sending a crack through the grader's metal frame. The leg quivered, buckling slightly, but it wasn't enough to topple the beast.
"This thing is tough!" I muttered, readying myself for another strike.
The ruin grader responded with a sudden lurch, its arm swinging out in a wide arc toward us. Its eye flared red-hot, and I could feel the raw power behind the incoming blow.
"Amber, now!" Kaeya barked from behind, his eyes locked onto the grader's motion. He was already reaching for his own weapon, waiting for the perfect moment.
Amber ran across the room trying to find a suitable location to strike, her movements a blur of practiced skill. "Got it!" she yelled, pulling back on her bowstring with a Pyro Infused arrow . She let it fly, aiming for the grader's upper body. The arrow sailed through the air and struck true, exploding on impact with a resounding boom.
The blast rocked the grader, its arm faltering mid-swing. I could feel the force of the explosion ripple through the air, sending a shockwave that momentarily threw the machine off balance.
"Good hit!" I called out, using the distraction to sidestep the grader's swinging arm. Aether leaped back, his Anemo powers swirling around him, ready to counter any further attacks.
As the grader steadied itself, its joints creaking ominously, Kaeya made his move. He slammed his palm onto the ground, blue light spreading outward like frost across the stone. "Let's slow it down," he muttered, his voice as cold and sharp as the ice forming at the grader's feet.
The ice crept up the grader's legs, encasing the metal in a thick layer of frost. The grader struggled to move, its legs frozen in ice made it's movements slower. For a moment, the metal groaned and cracked, resisting the freezing grip that was holding it in place.
"Go for the legs!" Kaeya called, his voice commanding. "While it's still frozen!"
I nodded and charged again, Aether right beside me. This time, we moved in tandem. I swung my sword with all my might, my blood flame blazing hotter against the icy joints. The heat of my blade clashed with the frost, and to my surprise created a 'Melt' elemental reaction?! The Cryo energy along with my blood reacted and created a devastating explosion. The grader's leg shuddered, a jagged crack forming as it struggled to withstand the combined force of fire and ice.
Aether followed up, twisting his blade through the smoke. The wind around his sword intensified, slicing through the air and driving into the weakened joint. The metal groaned, bending under the pressure, but the ruin grader wasn't done yet. Suddenly, it's eye started to glow and I knew that it was definitely NOT a good sign.
"It's getting ready to attack again!" Paimon shouted, her voice shrill but then I saw that she suddenly had a shocked expression, as if she just thought of something.
She darted in front of the grader's eye, waving her arms frantically. "Hey, over here, you oversized bucket of bolts! Look this way!"
The grader hesitated, its eye stopped charging and its sensors flickered as it tried to identify and analyze Paimon's erratic movements. It paused, its eye glowing with confusion as it momentarily diverted its focus away from us.
"Nice one, Paimon!" Aether called out, seizing the opening. He swung his sword in a sharp arc, sending a gust of wind directly into the grader's exposed joints. The force of the wind twisted the metal, widening the crack we'd created.
"I see an opening!" Amber yelled from the backline. She drew another arrow, condensing Pyro energy through it and pulled on the string. "Let's make this count!" She pulled back on the bowstring, her gaze fierce and focused.
She released the arrow, her aim true as it sailed toward the grader's right arm joint. The explosive detonated on impact, a burst of fire and shrapnel scattering across the grader's arm. The metal screeched in protest, sparks flying as the joint locked up momentarily.
Kaeya acted immediately, sending another wave of ice along the ground. The frost crawled up the grader's arm, freezing the damaged joint in place. "Hold it there!" he commanded, eyes sharp as he watched the grader struggle against the ice.
The ruin grader's arm jerked, its movements sluggish as the ice tightened around its metal frame. It was fighting to break free, this is our chance!
"Keep the pressure on!" Kaeya urged, his voice firm and clear.
"Right," Lisa murmured, stepping forward with her catalyst humming softly in her hand. Electricity crackled around her fingertips, casting a faint glow across the chamber. "Time to see how it handles a bit of lightning!"
With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a bolt of electro energy. It arced through the air, splitting into smaller, jagged branches of lightning that struck the grader's frozen joints. The impact sent a shockwave of electricity coursing through its frame, causing the machine to convulse violently.
"That's more like it" Lisa remarked, her eyes glinting with satisfaction as the grader's movements stuttered, sparks flying from its overloading systems.
"Not so fast," Kaeya muttered as the grader raised its arm to strike. He extended his hand, sending another wave of ice toward the arm's base. Frost spread over the machinery, freezing it in place for a brief moment. The grader's movements slowed as it struggled to break free of the icy grip.
I could feel the toll of the Abyssal energy clawing at me, draining my strength. My body was working overtime, burning up resources to deal with the contamination. Not good, but I pushed through it. We were making progress, and I wasn't about to back down.
"Go for the legs again!" I called out to Aether. We both moved in, our attacks coordinated and precise. He blasted debris toward the grader's legs with a focused gust of wind, and I followed up, slashing with my blood flame-coated sword. The grader let out a metallic groan as its leg fractured further, nearly collapsing under the assault.
"It's working!" Paimon yelled, though her voice was shaky. "Come on, just a little more! This pile of junk has to go down eventually!"
The grader was teetering, its movements erratic and unbalanced. We were wearing it down, but it wasn't finished yet. Its eye glowed fiercely as it let out a mechanical roar, raising both arms in a last-ditch effort.
The grader swung its arms in a wide arc, sending shockwaves through the chamber. I dug my heels in, using my sword to brace against the force. Aether leaped back, using his wind currents to steady his stance.
"Not so fast," Kaeya muttered. He stomped his foot, sending another wave of ice across the floor. The ice formed a slippery sheet under the grader's legs, causing it to lose its footing and stumble crashing into the wall.
"Great move, Kaeya!" I called, adrenaline surging through me. "Let's finish this!"
Amber took a deep breath, eyeing the grader's core. "Time for something a little extra!" She quickly pulled out a miniature Baron Bunny and tied it on her arrow, the bunny and arrow glowing in Pyro energy. "Here goes nothing," she murmured, releasing the arrow. It sailed through the air and struck the grader's chest. The explosion rocked the chamber, causing the grader to sway dangerously.
"Now!" Kaeya barked, raising his sword. "Hit it with everything you've got!"
Aether didn't hesitate. He swung his sword, sending a surge of Anemo energy forward that struck the grader's legs, forcing it to buckle. I rushed in beside him, pouring every ounce of strength I had into my attack. My sword blazed with blood flame as I brought it down on the grader's leg. The metal crunched and splintered under the force, finally giving way.
The ruin grader let out a final, ear-splitting screech as its leg was compromised. It swayed, tipping forward. For a moment, it hovered on the brink of collapse, and then, with a deafening crash, it fell to the ground, motionless.
---
We barely had a moment to breathe before its eye flared up again, blazing with a fierce crimson light. It wasn't done. I felt my heart skip a beat as it began to move, lifting one arm, the ground rumbling beneath us.
"It's not down yet!" Lisa shouted, her eyes blazing as she readied her catalyst. "Prepare for another attack!"
"Here we go again!" I muttered, raising my sword. This fight was far from over, and we weren't going to back down.