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A young man was sitting by the window in the passenger compartment of the aeron. A slight smile played on his face as he listened to the recording from a week ago. He looked around 17-18 years old and was dressed in a simple hoodie and jeans. His hair was light brown, with a slight reddish tint. Gray eyes and a face that was neither ugly nor excessively handsome. In general, just a young man.
"I wonder how long the training will take? How will it go?" he pondered about his near future, experiencing incredible anticipation.
Suddenly, there was a light vibration, interrupting his thoughts and signaling that the aeron was descending. Outside the window, clouds passed in an impenetrable wall. A few minutes later, the stream of clouds ceased, giving way to bright sunlight.
The young man squinted from the brightness as the sun's rays suddenly bathed his face in a soft, warm stream. After squinting a little and finally adapting to the bright light, he looked into the distance. An endless scorched wasteland stretched to the horizon. There was nothing on the ground: no water, no plants, not even dry ones, and certainly no animals, just bare rocks and sand. Looking over the familiar, unremarkable scene, his gaze stopped at strange outlines. Looking closer, he managed to discern some outlines of this clearly distinctive object. It was a citadel.
The aeron continued its rapid descent, leaving a trail of faintly trembling air. It moved forward at an astonishing speed, and with each meter, the citadel became clearer and more distinct.
The citadel, like an unspeakable monster, loomed among the endless wastelands. A huge metal dome, almost completely covered with armored plates. It was covered with a barely noticeable shimmering shell, which did not bode well.
"Astral shield is activated only during emergencies, right?"
According to the protocol, the astral shield is activated only in case of extreme danger. And that means the citadel was under attack.
However, despite the situation, the aeron continued descending, which was undoubtedly good news. If the citadel were in danger, the aeron would have gained altitude again. That means the threat was eliminated, or the situation was under full control.
A little calmed down, the young man continued to look out the window. The approaching citadel became clearer, and now, if you look closely, you could distinguish many huge weapons located around the perimeter of the dome.
Most of the weapons were giant energy cannons mounted directly into the structure of the dome. These massive installations, as if naturally part of the construction, were located along the perimeter and seamlessly merged with its metallic surface. Each weapon was enormous and massive, with powerful but elegantly calibrated forms that transitioned from one element to another.
Besides these giant cannons, massive artillery towers with rotating mechanisms were located around the dome's perimeter. Each such tower was equipped with huge modules. Under normal circumstances, they should be hidden behind special shutters, but now they were fully open, which, again, clearly didn't bode well.
The aeron, sharply gaining altitude, vibrated piercingly, and the young man felt his body momentarily pressed against the seat. Experiencing slight overloads but quickly recovering, he pressed himself to the window, trying to see what was happening. The aeron changed its route and now, following an arcuate trajectory, gradually approached the citadel.
A few seconds later, the citadel's guns came to life and, aiming in the same direction, fired simultaneously. Then another, a second, a third... The continuous roar of shots tore apart the calm silence of the scorched spaces.
The artillery towers also came to life, targeting and launching many rockets. They exploded upon reaching their target. A shockwave rolled from the explosion site, which, reaching the flying aeron, slightly shook it.
The aeron quickly approached the citadel, and with it, the battleground. As soon as the aeron passed the colossal plateau that obstructed the normal view of what was happening, a terrifying scene unfolded before the young man's eyes.
Amidst the flashing fires and smoking craters, in the dust of destruction, moved a huge figure. A horrifically distorted combination of organics and metal. Its body was covered with metal plates that merged with its organic tissue. A long, thin, lizard-like figure. Its elongated head, resembling a closed bud of a meaty flower, was crowned with a pair of horns curving backward. Along the entire spine stretched countless metal plates, occasionally emitting a white-blue glow. Two pairs of long tentacles with curved stingers at their tips protruded from its back. A long tail ended with a massive growth, as if abstractly glued together from many metal plates, organs, and stumps of smaller unknown creatures.
The foul creature let out a deep, terrifying howl and, bending, stood on its hind legs. The creature's maw gaped open like a beautiful blooming rose. Numerous tongue-tentacles danced an inimitable serpentine dance among the myriad teeth.
Suddenly, the creature's spine plates glowed blue-white. The light spread like a river throughout the spine and, reaching the head-flower, stopped. A second later, its horns glowed, and a beam of bluish energy burst from the gaping maw. It cut the space in half, striking the citadel's shield. A thunderous explosion followed, releasing a shockwave that destroyed everything around.
The monster continued attacking the citadel, but the astral shield easily withstood the assault. The guns fired again, but it had almost no effect, only angering the creature.
There seemed to be no way out of the stalemate. However, in the moment of fierce confrontation, among the rising dust, a huge humanoid figure flickered.
Suddenly, a sharp, deafening sound of heavy steel hitting steel echoed across the battlefield. The monster was thrown back several dozen meters, its massive body twisted, and where its formidable shadow stood a moment ago, a majestic silhouette now stood.
The giant mech, huge and menacing, like the embodiment of indestructible strength. Made of dark gray metal, it was like the manifestation of cold power and aggression descending into the world. The dark gray metal that made up this giant was covered with glowing lines, coldly shimmering in dark blue shades.
The mech's head resembled the helmet of an ancient warrior, and its figure stood at about eighty meters.
The monster, stunned by the unexpected attack, came to its senses and, rising, looked at its assailant. Letting out a deep howl, its maw opened again like a flower. The mech, realizing that the enemy was preparing to attack again, rushed forward.
Rapidly closing the distance, it delivered a powerful blow to the creature's head. The creature's attack was interrupted, and it was embedded into the ground. The creature let out a vile scream, twisting; its long tail flashed in the air, striking the mech from behind.
The monster leaped up sharply, pouncing on its unbalanced opponent. In response, the mech grabbed the creature, blocking its advance. The creature's tentacles, tipped with stingers, repeatedly struck the mech's body. Suddenly, the creature's maw opened again, and the plates on its spine glowed blue again.
The creature was preparing to destroy its enemy!
In response, the mech stepped back, dragging the creature with it. Falling on its back, it threw the creature over itself!
The monster, clearly not expecting such a move from its opponent, crashed into the ground. The mech then rushed forward, intent on killing the enemy. Pouncing on the creature still lying on the ground, it delivered a terrifying blow. Then another... and another... and another... A crater had already formed under the creature's muzzle. Pressing the monster even harder to the ground, the mech drew a colossal knife. The blade, covered with various energy patterns, flashed in the air, piercing the metallic armor.
Blue blood gushed from the wound, but the mech didn't stop. With one powerful move, it slit the creature's entire neck. The monster let out a horrible gurgle and then went silent.
Watching the unfolding events from the window of the aeron, the young man was overwhelmed with shock and awe. He couldn't take his eyes off this spectacle, full of power and precision, with which the mech dealt with the monster. He continued to watch the battlefield until it disappeared from view.