The blast wave hit the bay like a storm.
tal crates flew.
Pipes tore loose.
The entire floor shook as if sothing huge had punched straight through it.
Asher and the Knight dove behind a broken support pillar just in ti.
The shockwave slamd into it, cracking the tal, but the pillar held long enough for the blast to pass.
Asher coughed, waving away the smoke.
"Okay... that’s new."
The Knight pressed a hand against the wall, steadying himself.
"It’s not just stronger... it’s covering the whole room."
Asher peered around the edge of the pillar.
The Pri Warden was still standing in the middle of the bay, unmoving—smoke rolling off its arms, the four ports still glowing faint orange from the attack.
It was waiting.
Watching.
Scanning for movent.
Asher whispered, "It knows we’re hiding."
The Knight nodded. "And it’s giving us ti to panic."
Asher made a face. "I don’t like that it understands psychology."
"Then we move now," the Knight said. "Before it fires again."
Asher glanced at the lted section of floor nearby.
"Do you see what one shot did? If it hits us with all four again—"
"We won’t survive it," the Knight said simply.
Asher took a breath and forced himself to focus.
"Alright. We split again. But this ti, we don’t dodge away. We move toward it."
The Knight raised an eyebrow.
"That’s insane."
"Yeah," Asher replied, "but staying here is even more insane."
The Knight exhaled slowly. "Fine. Toward it."
They shared a quick nod.
Then they sprinted out from behind the pillar—
The Pri Warden reacted instantly.
"RENEWING CLEARANCE."
The ports began to glow again.
"Asher, faster!" the Knight shouted.
Asher pushed his legs harder, dodging between debris, sliding under a fallen tal beam.
The Warden unleashed the attack—
FOOM—FOOM—FOOM—FOOM!
But this ti Asher and the Knight were too close.
The blasts missed them by wide arcs, tearing apart the far walls instead.
Asher lunged toward the Warden’s left leg and struck it with a hard punch.
CLANG!
The tal barely dented.
The Warden kicked at him—Asher backflipped away just in ti as the massive foot smashed into the floor.
The Knight appeared behind the machine, swinging for the cable joint at the back of its knee.
SPARKS!
The Warden stumbled for half a second but caught itself.
It spun around with surprising speed, sweeping its arm at both of them.
Asher ducked low.
The Knight jumped high.
The arm missed by inches.
Asher shouted, "We need sothing bigger! We’re not even slowing it down!"
"I’m aware!" the Knight replied, blocking another strike with both hands on his sword. The impact shoved him back across the floor.
The Warden charged again.
Asher tried to circle to its flank—but the machine predicted the move and swung its arm out, forcing him back.
Every second, the Warden grew faster.
More accurate.
More aggressive.
Asher wiped sweat and gri from his forehead.
"Knight, this thing’s adapting too quickly! We’re running out of options!"
The Knight gritted his teeth as he deflected another blow.
"There’s one option left."
Asher blinked.
"...Which one?"
"The one we don’t want to use."
Before Asher could ask, the Pri Warden locked onto them again.
"FINAL PURGE: RECHARGING."
The four ports on its arms glowed bright red.
The Knight took a deep breath.
"Asher... if it fires that again, the whole bay is gone."
Asher stared at the charging energy, heart pounding.
"...So what’s the plan?"
The Knight stepped forward, raising his sword.
"We stop it. No matter what it costs."
The glow reached its peak.
The Pri Warden lifted both arms.
And the entire room lit up red.
The red light grew brighter—so bright it washed out every shadow in the room.
Asher shielded his eyes.
"It’s about to fire!"
The Knight didn’t back away.
He stepped forward.
"Asher... when I move, you go for the chest. That’s the only place we haven’t hit yet."
Asher stared at him.
"Knight, that’s suicide—"
"No," the Knight said softly. "It’s a distraction."
Before Asher could argue, the Pri Warden spoke again:
"FINAL PURGE—RELEASE."
The energy in its arms pulsed, seconds away from firing.
The Knight sprinted straight at the machine.
"HEY!" he shouted. "LOOK AT !"
The Warden’s visor flickered, switching targets.
"PRIMARY THREAT—KNIGHT."
The Knight raised his sword—
The Warden fired.
A huge blast of molten energy roared out of its arm, fast and deadly.
The Knight jumped to the side, barely dodging. The beam skimd past him, vaporizing a row of crates behind him.
He hit the ground hard but forced himself back up.
"Asher!" he yelled. "NOW!"
Asher didn’t think—he just ran.
He sprinted straight toward the machine, dodging debris and pushing every muscle he had.
The Warden twisted its torso to aim another cannon at him.
"SECONDARY TARGET ACQUIRED."
Asher shouted, "Oh no you don’t!"
He dove under the glowing arm, slid across the floor, and ca up right in front of its chest.
Up close, the Pri Warden seed even bigger—its chest made of layered plates, thick cables, and a central core humming deep inside.
"Asher!" the Knight shouted from behind. "Hit the middle panel! The one with the warning mark!"
Asher found it—a small triangular marking surrounded by thick armor.
He raised his fist—
—and slamd it with everything he had.
CRACK!
The armor dented.
The Warden staggered, its visor flashing in alarm.
"CHEST DAMAGE DETECTED."
Asher gritted his teeth and hit the sa spot again.
BAM!
The plate bent further.
Panels around it began to spark.
The Warden swung its massive arm down at him—
Asher rolled aside just in ti.
The floor where he’d been standing exploded into molten tal.
"Asher, don’t stop!" the Knight yelled.
The Warden turned, preparing another blast.
Asher sprinted back in, jumped, and drove both fists into the cracked panel—
CRAAACK!
The entire plate shattered.
Blue energy sprayed out like a burst of steam.
The Warden froze.
Its visor glitched.
"CORE EXPOSED."
Asher stared into the open chamber in its chest—where a glowing sphere pulsed like a tal heart.
"Knight!" he shouted. "I found the core!"
The Knight limped toward him, gripping his sword. "Then destroy it!"
Asher reached for the exposed core—
But the Warden suddenly jerked alive again.
Its arms lifted.
Its cannons glowed.
Its voice dropped even lower, full of static:
"IF CORE FAILS... UNIT DETONATES."
Asher’s face went pale.
"Oh. That’s bad."
The Knight shouted, "Asher, do it anyway!"
The Warden’s chest began to glow brighter and brighter.
The entire machine shook as energy built up inside.
Asher clenched his jaw.
"Fine. Then we end this together."
He grabbed the core with both hands—
—and squeezed with everything he had.
The core cracked.
Blue light burst out.
The Pri Warden roared in a chanical scream—
"CORE CRITICAL—DET—"
BOOOOOOOM!!!
A blinding explosion filled the bay.
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