Kingdom of Edgellaf, Snowy Region, In the Forest.

1st Year of God, Thursday, 3rd Week, Month Of Jonah.

Holding onto a snow-laden branch, Angelo steadied himself, feeling his knuckles whitening as he dangled precariously from the tree. The icy wind bit at his cheeks, and his breath fogged the air as he struggled to regain his bearings after being thrown from the Peacemaker.

Finally, with a deep breath and a resigned sigh, he released his grip and dropped to the snow-covered ground below. His boots crunched softly against the frost as he straightened and began to walk, each step heavy with frustration.

"Why… why does everything have to go to hell? I hate this goddamned fantasy world," Angelo muttered in a low but bitter voice. He lashed out and punch a nearby tree, colliding his fist with its bark, only for the impact to sent a cascade of snow from the branches above and land on his head and shoulders, blanketing him in icy powder.

"…Brilliant," he muttered darkly, brushing the snow from his shoulders and shaking it from his hair.

As he prepared to move deeper into the forest, a tremor rippled through the ground, making him pause. Turning sharply, his eyes widened at the sight of a colossal tank-like machine emerging from the trees. Its massive drill gleamed in the pale light, while a cannon perched menacingly on top of its hulking frame. Surrounding it were hundreds of dwarves armed with magic muskets, their sharp eyes scanning the forest as they spread out in search.

"Fantastic. They're combing the area now," Angelo grumbled under his breath. Keeping low, he slipped between the trees, moving quickly and cautiously as he evaded the Iron Kingdom's forces.

——————————————————————

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Nathan was holding tightly to a tree, feeling his breath coming in short with visible puffs against the cold. A moment later, his grip faltered, and he dropped to the snow-covered ground below, landing with a muffled thud.

"I hope the others are okay," he murmured to himself, feeling slightly worried for them. Still, he pushed the thought aside, knowing emotions were not the appropriate time yet.

He was about to move when a deep guttural roar echoed through the frosty air, freezing him in place. The sound sent a chill down his spine, sharper than the cold itself.

Instinctively, Nathan ducked beneath a low-hanging, snow-laden tree, pressing his body against the trunk.

Looking up through the canopy, he caught sight of the massive dragon that had destroyed the Peacemaker, its enormous wings slicing through the air as it passed overhead. The shadow it cast lingered even after it disappeared into the distance.

Once the danger had passed, Nathan exhaled slowly and rose to his feet. With renewed urgency, he set off and weaved through the snow-draped forest as he attempted to contact command. Reinforcements and an extraction were vital, if they wanted any chance of survival, he needed to find the others fast.

——————————————————————

Marco's eyes fluttered open, and he became aware of the cold biting at his skin. He lay sprawled on his back in the snow, feeling the soft powder mercifully cushioning his fall.

Groaning softly, he pushed himself upright before the sharp chill seeping through his gloves as he steadied himself. Suddenly, a guttural roar shattered the stillness, making his pulse spike. Instinctively, Marco scrambled behind a nearby snow-covered boulder and pressed his back against the icy surface.

Looking cautiously around the edge, his breath caught in his throat when he saw a massive dragon standing on a jagged outcrop of a small mountain ahead, its sharp eyes scanning the area like a predator seeking prey. Marco froze, his every instinct screaming at him to remain still.

For what felt like an eternity, the creature lingered as its heavy presence suffocated the air around him. After two agonizing minutes, the dragon spread its enormous wings and ascended into the sky, its piercing gaze now focused elsewhere.

Marco exhaled shakily as relief flooded his veins. Wasting no time, he moved out from his hiding spot and moved quickly and silently through the snowy terrain, careful to avoid drawing the dragon's attention as it flew in search of the others.

——————————————————————

The cold bit at Paulo’s exposed skin as he opened his eyes. Snowflakes dusted his visor, the HUD flickering erratically. He groaned, feeling his ribs screaming in protest as he struggled to sit up. Around him, the forest stretched in every direction with tall pines and frost-laden branches framing a silent white world, broken only by the faint roar of a dragon echoing in the distance.

Scattered across the clearing were twenty soldiers in battered exosuits, some on their knees, nursing injuries, while others kept their eyes trained on the sky with their guns ready nervously.

Paulo winced and held his side, feeling his earlier injuries coming back. But none of that mattered. He was still alive, and so were they.

“Lieutenant Paulo!” A young soldier with a dented helmet and streaked with soot, rushed over. “You’re awake! Sir, you shouldn’t—”

“I’m fine,” Paulo cut him off in a hoarse but firm voice. He planted a hand against a tree for balance as he rose to his feet and swayed slightly. “Status report.”

The soldier hesitated and glanced nervously at the others before responding. “Sir, the VTOL is gone. We’ve confirmed only twenty of us made it down here... The snow and the mithril armor absorbed most of the impact, but we’re scattered. Equipment’s everywhere, and…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “The dragon’s still up there. Circling.”

Paulo nodded sharply, suppressing a grimace as he realized he was the higher-ranking officer among them, and every decision now rested on his shoulders.

“Alright. Gather everyone here. I want a full inventory of what we’ve got left. Check your Spatial Rings for surviving gear, food, weapons, comms, and anything useful. Prioritize finding medkits, healing potions, and anti-tank ordnance. We’re not equipped to take that thing head-on right now.”

Another soldier, her arm bound in a makeshift sling, stepped forward. “Sir, with all due respect, you’re injured. You need to rest—”

“I said I’m fine,” Paulo snapped, his tone like frostbite. He took a deep breath and softened his expression but not his resolve. “I’ll rest when we’re safe. Right now, my team is still out there.” His gaze shifted to the edge of the clearing. “They didn’t make it to this clearing. That means they’re either scattered or…”

He didn’t finish the thought. He didn’t need to.

“We move out in two minutes,” Paulo ordered, straightening, despite the sharp pain flaring in his side, but he ignored it. “I want a tight formation. Stay low, stay quiet. If that dragon spots us, we’re done. Keep your optics on thermal and call out anything that moves. Let’s go.”

The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances but snapped into action and obeyed his command, their training overriding their doubts.

As they moved to gather supplies, Paulo took a moment to glance at the sky. The silhouette of the dragon swept against the clouds, its roars reverberating through the forest. The dense canopy gave them cover, but he knew it wouldn’t last forever.

His grip tightened on the hilt of his AF-2 rifle.

“Hang on, guys,” he muttered underneath his breath, thinking of his missing team. “I’m coming.”

——————————————————————

Back to Angelo, he continued to stroll through the snowy forest with his breath misting in the icy air. There was no sign of his team, just an endless expanse of frost-laden trees and the oppressive silence of winter.

"Where the hell did everyone land?" he muttered irritably. "If the Iron Kingdom’s forces find us first, we’re toast. Why do I always end up in the middle of this mess?"

He scanned the area as he walked, feeling his boots crunching against the snow. His aimless search came to an abrupt halt when he saw a massive Blue Dragon descend from the sky and landed with a thud barely ten meters away, causing Angelo to freeze and feel his heart hammered in his chest.

The dragon had its back turned, so he quickly ducked behind a nearby rock, just as the beast swung its massive head and scanned the forest in his direction.

Angelo held his breath and gripped his rifle tightly as the dragon growled, seemingly unsatisfied, before taking off into the sky again to continue its search.

Once the creature was gone, Angelo exhaled and cautiously stepped out from his cover, glancing around. That's when his eyes landed on a hole in the snowy ground, its edges jagged and weathered, as if it had been there for ages.

Crack!

He spun at the sudden sound of a twig snapping behind him.

“Huh?”

Before he could react, a deafening roar filled his ears as a bus-sized sabertooth-like magical beast appeared before him. The creature’s amber eyes gleamed with predatory intent as it lunged at him, its gleaming fangs inches from his face.

Acting on instinct, Angelo stumbled backward, losing his footing and slipped into the hole.

He fell into the darkness, tumbling uncontrollably as the beast snarled and clawed aggressively at the hole, unable to fit through the narrow opening due to its massive body too large to follow. Letting out a frustrated growl, the creature turned and bounded off into the forest.

Deep underground, Angelo screamed as he fell deeper into the pit, feeling the cold air rushing past him until he spotted an ice stalactite. Desperately, he reached out and grabbed it, halting his fall just in time.

He hung there for a moment, panting heavily before shaking his head.

“Okay, never again will I let my guard down like that... ever.”

Releasing the stalactite, he dropped safely onto the icy ground below and began navigating the tunnel with his visor flickered as he took in his surroundings and found himself in a dark tunnel system that stretched out before him.

‘Regroup at the extraction point and head home safely. That was the plan,’ he thought bitterly. ‘Not get separated in the middle of nowhere. Thank the elves for enchanting the MK-I armor with [Cold Resistance]. Otherwise, I’d be freezing by now.’

His musings ended when he reached the mouth of the tunnel. Ahead, he spotted the exit appeared to be sealed with wooden planks barricading the opening, their surfaces aged and splintered. Angelo stepped forward, intending to tear through them with the exosuit’s enhanced strength, but before he could act, the boards exploded outward and a massive mechanical hand reached through and grabbed Angelo.

“What the—?!”

The next thing he knew, he was thrown out of the tunnel and was sent skidding across an ice-covered field at the edge of the forest.

Groaning, he rolled to his feet and whipped out his AF-2 Magespitter and aimed it toward his attacker.

“Finally, I found one of you bastards!”

The voice was gruff, enraged, and unmistakably dwarven. Expecting to see the Dwarf Prince, Angelo instead found himself staring at a heavily armored battle mech, piloted by a dwarf. But this wasn’t just any mech.

The suit was massive, its surface dented and pockmarked with holes from previous battles. Steam hissed from its joints, and its glowing red eyes locked onto Angelo like a predator eyeing its prey.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Angelo muttered. “You’re the one in that oversized tin can?” he called out, while keeping his weapon steady.

The dwarf’s bitter laughter rumbled through the mech’s speakers. “Ah, so you remember me! I’m flattered. My unit and I chased you and that flying contraption of yours not too long ago but y’all kill my friends and damage my suit. And now, it's payback time!”



Slowly approaching at Angelo’s direction, the Heavy armored Thunder Warrior let forth a warcry that ripped through the icy expanse and reverberated across the frozen field like an earthquake as he glared toward Angelo.

"But enough with these talks! I am Commander Bly, leader of the 23rd Thunder Warrior unit! I'll reduce you to a bloody pulp until only your head remains and present it to Lord Dwalin as a gift!"

"Then stop yapping and do it, you pint-sized tin can!" Angelo spat back as he flipped off the safety on his AF-2 Magespitter and leveled the weapon at the one-meter tall dwarf seated inside the three-meter tall machine. "That oversized toy of yours doesn’t scare me!"

Bly’s eyes burned with rage as he locked his mech’s cannon on Angelo. "Oh, you ‘will’ learn to fear it!" He roared as his mech’s magic cannon swung forward and began firing multiple magic bullets at Angelo.

This forced him to dive for cover by rolling behind a craggy ice boulder as the projectiles slammed into the ground, kicking up shards of snow and ice. Angelo returned fire, but his mithril-tipped rounds ricocheted off the mech’s reinforced plating armor.

With a roar, Bly activated the thrusters on his mech's back and launched himself forward at blistering speed. Angelo barely had time to react when his helmet’s magic augmented systems kicked in, before he rolled out of the way as the mech crashed into the ice boulder, smashing it into a thousand pieces with a thunderous stomp.

But the resulting shockwave sent Angelo sprawling across the frozen field.

Disoriented but quick to recover, Angelo gritted his teeth and scrambled to his feet just in time to see Bly charging again, this time with one of the mech’s massive fists glowing with condensed magic energy.

With a mighty swing, the dwarf commander brought it down like a hammer and aimed to pulverize his enemy, but Angelo leaped back just in time as the fist slammed into the ground with an explosive impact, sending ice flying in every direction.

“Flash!” Angelo barked as he yanked a pin from his belt and tossed a flash grenade at the mech.

Bang!

“Argh!” Bly let out a furious yell as the blinding light overloaded his visual sensors.

With this opening, Angelo leaped back and unloads a volley of bullets into the mech. Though the mithril-tipped rounds sparked against its armored plating, Bly raised his arm to shield his cockpit, weathering the assault.

"Is that all you’ve got?” Bly growled. His mech’s shoulder panels opened and unleashed a swarm of glowing magic missiles into the sky.

Angelo’s HUD lit up with warnings as the magic missiles arced ominously before raining down, forcing him to dodge and weave through the deadly onslaught, narrowly avoiding the explosions that erupted around him. The ground trembled with each blast, forcing him to keep moving.

Bly used the distraction to close the distance, his mana-powered fist transformed into a gleaming magic energy blade. With a quick upward slash in a wide arc, Bly aimed for Angelo, who jumped back, but not far enough as the blade’s tip grazed his chin, drawing a thin line of blood.

“ARGH!” Angelo hissed, gasping the wound as pain flared across his face.

“DIE!” Bly roared and slashed at Angelo with wild rapid strikes and furious arcs. Each swing came with blistering speed, but the enhancements in Angelo’s helmet allowed him to react to the attacks at such speeds and dodged with precision that would have been impossible for an unaugmented human.

Frustrated, Bly stabbed downward with his magic blade and aimed to pin Angelo to the ground, but Angelo backpedaled, and the blade struck the icy surface instead, embedding itself deep.

Crack!

Both combatants froze as the sound of splintering ice echoed around them. Their eyes widened, realizing the ground beneath their feet was fracturing.

Before either could react, the ice shattered, sending Angelo and Bly falling into an underground tunnel. The slippery sloping surface sent them sliding down uncontrollably on the tunnel of glistening ice. Angelo led the descent, feeling his armor scraping against the ice, while Bly’s mech followed closely behind him, his mech barely fitting in the confined space in a cacophony of grinding metal and thrusters.

"You dwarves really need to work on that temper!" Angelo shouted over his shoulder.

"Shut your mouth, human!" Bly snapped.

As they slid down, Bly charged his magic cannon and fired, sending a bolt of magic energy shot past Angelo, narrowly missing him and blasting apart a chunk of ice further down the tunnel.

Angelo twisted to avoid the next shot, gritting his teeth as the tunnel walls blurred past.

Bly prepared to unleash another volley, but Angelo threw a frag grenade over his shoulder.

Boom!

The grenade exploded on his face, and the explosion rocked the tunnel. Though the blast didn’t damage the mech, it obscured Bly’s vision momentarily and only fueled his rage.

“You think that’ll stop me?!” Bly roared, redoubling his fury as he continued the chase.

Angelo, gripping his AF-2 Magespitter, twisted mid-slide and fired a burst of rounds behind him, but the bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the mech’s armor as Bly swatted the shots aside like gnats, with his mech’s massive arms moving like shields.

"You’re only delaying your doom!" Bly bellowed, rumbling with fury in his voice as they careened further into the icy abyss.

As they slid through the icy tunnels, Angelo and Commander Bly spotted a split ahead, two diverging paths. Without hesitation, Angelo veered left, with his armor helping him maintain balance. Commander Bly, reacting a split-second too late, went into the right tunnel, with his massive mech scraping the walls as he went.

Glancing over his shoulder, Angelo saw no sign of the dwarf and sighed.

"Finally lost him," he muttered, focusing ahead as the tunnel twisted and turned.

But just as relief set in, the wall to his right exploded, sending shards of ice flying as Bly’s mech burst through with his thrusters blazing in full power.

Time seemed to slow as the dwarf lunged with his massive hand reaching for Angelo. Instinctively, Angelo ducked, and the metal claws whistled just above his head before the mech slammed into the opposite wall with a deafening crash.

Momentum carried Angelo forward as Bly recovered, this time sliding on his belly, which proved advantageous as he gained more speed while conserving his thruster fuel. The dwarf quickly closed the gap, with his bulk barreled through the tunnel with alarming precision.

Seeing how close the dwarf was getting to him, Angelo twisted around and raised his magic rifle, but before he could fire, Bly swung his energy sword in a wide arc and sliced the weapon cleanly in two. Sparks flew as Angelo dodged the follow-up strikes, narrowly avoiding the glowing blade with every roll and twist. In a sudden move, Bly moved forward and grabbed Angelo in a crushing grip and brought him face-to-face.

Angelo gritted his teeth and reached for his spatial ring and pulled out a Glock. He aimed for the dwarf’s head, but before he could pull the trigger, light flooded the tunnel. Both combatants turned their heads just in time to realize they had reached the tunnel's exit, and were thrown out into open air.

But something felt wrong.

'Why do I feel like there’s no ground beneath us?'

The answer came quickly as they looked down and realized below them was nothing but empty space, with the ground a hundred meters below. Their eyes widened as they exchanged a brief, incredulous look before gravity took over, and they began to fall.

Bly, ever resourceful, reached for his thruster controls. Angelo, noticing the movement, fired a shot at the mech’s face, and the bullet impacted the sensory panel and momentarily disorienting the dwarf as he lost his grip, and Angelo wrenched free as they continued their rapid descent.

"This fight is absurd!" Bly shouted in a mixture of anger and frustration. "I should’ve crushed you by now!"

Both angry and annoyed, the dwarf charged up more magic bullets and fired them all mid-air, but Angelo twisted and spun, narrowly avoiding each glowing projectile. As they neared the treetops, Angelo spotted a sturdy branch and grabbed it at the last second. His enhanced armor absorbed the impact, keeping his arm intact as he swung to safety.

Commander Bly wasn’t as fortunate as his mech slammed face-first into the snow-covered ground with a thunderous crash. For a moment, everything was still. Then, the dwarf stirred, and his armor dented but intact.

"How ridiculously lucky can you be, human?" Bly growled as he rose to his feet.

Standing on a tree branch in the far distance, Angelo watched as Bly turned toward him and could see his fury even across the snowy expanse.

The dwarf charged with astonishing speed and closed the distance in seconds. Upon reaching the tree, he swung his energy sword and cleaved through its base in one clean strike.

The tree groaned as it began to topple, forcing Angelo to leap from branch to branch with the aid of his armor. But Bly was relentless as he cut down each tree Angelo landed on, determined to corner him.

Angelo finally landed on solid ground and sprinted toward the edge of the forest. He broke free of the trees and skidded to a halt on a frozen lake. Fortunately, the frozen ground covering the lake was still stable.

Behind him, Bly emerged from the forest, framing his three-meter-tall mech against the backdrop of skeletal trees. He stepped onto the frozen lake, his massive form cracking the surface slightly with each step as his glowing eyes locked on Angelo and stared at him… menacingly.

"ゴゴゴゴゴゴ"

The two stood there, with the cold wind howling between them.

Breathing heavily and feeling both physically and mentally exhausted from all the chase he has been experiencing, Angelo pulled out his AF-1 Magelock and leveled it at the towering mech before him.

“You know what? Let’s end this here and now, just you and me!”

Commander Bly’s mechanical eyes narrowed. With a growl, he raised his magic energy sword and unleashed a series of energy slashes toward Angelo. The glowing arcs tore through the air, but the human's reflexes, bolstered by his MK-I armor, carried him safely away as he jumped and evaded the attacks before moving toward his opponent.

“You are a human! Why won’t you just DIE like the rest of you!” Bly roared as he launched another barrage of magic missiles from the thrusters on his back.

Angelo weaved through the missiles with his MK-I armor enhancing his speed as he closed the distance. Once within range, he brought his magic rifle to bear and fired a shot straight into Bly’s face, causing the mech to stagger momentarily.

“You think that will stop m—”

Bang!

Before Bly could finish his taunt, Angelo quickly switched to a conventional sniper rifle from his Spatial Ring and fired a .50-caliber round directly into the mech’s faceplate. The impact stunned Bly again, but Angelo wasn’t done. With near-surgical speed, he cycled through a series of high-caliber weapons and unloaded shot after shot in each gun to keep the dwarf off balance.

Like what they say, switching to other weapons is faster than reloading.

Snarling in irritation, Bly pointed his magic cannon at Angelo. Its barrel began to glow ominously as the dwarf poured all his mana reserves into a single devastating shot.

Recognizing the danger, Angelo sprinted backward and narrowly leaped out of the attack’s range as a deafening explosion followed, carving a ten-meter-wide crater into the ground in the distance and forcing Angelo to keep his distance.

With little care, Bly fired another swarm of magic missiles, dozens arcing through the air toward Angelo.

Rolling, leaping, and weaving as if he played some Dark Souls game, Angelo evaded the barrage, though the relentless assault left him little room to counterattack.

Commander Bly activated his thrusters and propelled himself forward in a blur. The mech’s massive fist crackled with magic energy as it swung upward in a vicious uppercut. Angelo reacted in the nick of time, dashing beneath the dwarf and sliding past him. As Bly turned to face him, a mithril bullet slammed into his faceplate, forcing him back a few steps as he growled and realigned his jaw.

Furious, Bly fired another volley of over thirty magic missiles, each screaming through the air with deadly intent. Angelo dodged and rolled frantically to escape the explosions that erupted around him, avoiding most of them by leaping and rolling to the side repeatedly like an experienced Dark Souls player.

Taking advantage of a brief lull, he reached into his Spatial Ring and pulled out a rocket launcher.

It wasn’t an Arcane Storm Launcher, but it was enough to do some serious damage against normal tanks.

Whoooosh!

The rocket streaked through the air and struck Bly squarely in the chest. The explosion lit up the battlefield, but the mech emerged from the smoke unharm, with his magic shields absorbing the brunt of the impact. Unfazed, Bly charged again, barreling toward Angelo with his massive frame like a freight train.

Angelo sidestepped at the last second, avoiding the charge, and landed on the icy surface of the frozen lake. As he steadied himself, he noticed faint cracks forming on the ice beneath his feet, and an idea struck him.

Raising his AF-1 Magelock, Angelo aimed at the ice and fired repeatedly, deepening the fractures. Bly stopped in his tracks, noticing his sensors picking up the danger too late. As the mech took another step forward, the ice gave way beneath his weight.

The dwarf glanced down, realizing his mistake just as Angelo mockingly saluted him.

“You-”

Crack!

The cracking ice shattered completely, and Bly fell into the freezing lake. His heavy mech, laden with heavy mechanical components, sank rapidly into the murky depths, even his thrusters sputtered futilely against the waters.

Angelo watched the last ripples disappear before collapsing onto the ice, finally catching his breath. His chest heaved as he processed the chaos of the battle.

“A normal human… fighting a three-meter mech straight out of a Gundam anime,” he muttered as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “And I just sank him like a damn fishing lure. Holy shit, that was insane... and terrifying.”

——————————————————————

Meanwhile, Nathan and Marco were still moving through the dense snow-covered forest with their breaths fogging in the cold air. After a tense search, they finally found each other and decided to team up to locate the others. Together, they navigated the terrain cautiously while staying out of sight of the Iron Kingdom soldiers who prowled the area.

The two ducked behind a thicket when they noticed a patrol moving in the opposite direction. They waited in silence, barely daring to breathe, until the soldiers disappeared into the distance.

“They’re leaving,” Nathan said, keeping his voice low, “but that doesn’t change the fact that the dragon is still out there.”

Marco nodded grimly. “We need to keep moving.”

The duo headed north, their pace brisk but careful. After a couple of minutes, Nathan came to an abrupt stop when his gaze fixed on the ground.

“Look,” he said, pointing at a blood trail winding across the frozen earth.

The two exchanged wary glances before deciding to follow it with their weapons ready. Each step was measured as their eyes scanned the forest for signs of danger, be it from the dragon or the Iron Kingdom patrols.

The trail ended at a clearing, where they found Angelo sitting on the ground with his back against a tree. He looked utterly drained and exhausted. Angelo opened his eyes faintly as the pair approached.

“Hey… guys,” He murmured weakly with his trembling voice. “You wouldn’t believe what… I just fought.”

Nathan and Marco exchanged sighs of relief before one of them rummaged through their gear and pulled out a healing potion, while arco knelt beside Angelo and began patching up his wounds while Nathan handed him the potion.

“We all have crazy stories, but you can save the story of yours for later, Captain,” Nathan said. “For now, rest up and try not to get killed by these hairy midgets—”

“Stop right there!” a gruff voice barked.

The trio froze and turned to see ten dwarf soldiers emerging from the trees, aiming their magic muskets on them.

Marco raised his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, uh, why don’t we talk this out?”

The leader of the dwarves narrowed his eyes. “Really? After calling us ‘hairy midgets’? That’s a whole new level of insult, you racist pig!” he hissed in disdain.

Another soldier sneered and raised his musket higher. “Yeah, that makes me want to do a lot more than just kill you!”

Before Marco or the others could come up with a retort, a deep growl cut through the tension. Everyone froze as a massive, white sabertooth magic beast emerged from the trees, its glowing amber eyes fixed on the group with a predatory hunger.

Angelo’s breath caught. “Wait… that’s the same beast I ran into earlier.”

“That's a Frostmaul!!”

The dwarves, now pale with terror, fumbled to ready their muskets, but before they could fire, the sabertooth unleashed a flurry of enormous icicles that shred half the patrol in an instant.

“Run!” Marco shouted, not waiting for a response.

The trio bolted as the sabertooth tore through the remaining dwarves, tearing apart anything in its path with its claws and magic, causing the surrounding trees to splinter apart and the snow to spray into the air.

At that moment, Angelo’s radio begins to gain signal and picks it up while continuing to run.

“Paulo?” he said between ragged breaths.

[Thank God you’re alive, Captain. Iwas able to contact the command, and they will be sending reinforcements for us. Keep an eye out.]

Before Angelo could respond, the transmission cut off. He clicked the radio off with a grim nod.

“Well, at least there’s one piece of good news.”

The group pushed forward, crunching through the snow with their boots as the distant roars of the sabertooth echoed behind them.

“Hey, I’ve been wondering,” Marco huffed as he glanced at Angelo. “Do you think the Men of Stone can hold their own against the Iron Kingdom’s army? That thing’s practically a walking tank.”

Angelo shrugged without breaking stride. “Beats me.”

Nathan glanced at the horizon as they ran with a thoughtful expression.

“You got a point. I also wonder what he’s doing right now.”

——————————————————————

“FIRE AT IT!!”

A dwarf soldier’s terrified shout rang out as hundreds of Iron Kingdom troops fired their magic musket upon the towering two-meter humanoid figure.

The Men of Stone, meanwhile, charged forward and obliterated dwarven armor like brittle paper and ramming straight into their Mobile Drilling Machine.

It tore through their formations with ease, ignoring the magic energy bullets raining down from both ground troops and Thunder Warriors in the skies above.

“Thunder Warriors! Fire all you magic missiles now!” a dwarf commander yelled with desperation in his voice.

From the dwarven mechs, a storm of magic missiles roared through the air and streaked toward their colossal target, followed by blue explosions that erupted in violent succession, shrouding the battlefield in blinding flames and thick clouds of dust.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

“Did we get it?” one of the soldiers asked nervously, peering into the smoke.

As the dust began to settle, the few dwarves who dared to advance let out blood-curdling screams before silence overtook them.

Moments later, a crimson glow emerged from the haze, and the Men of Stone stepped forward, its glowing eyes casting an eerie light across the battlefield.

In its grasp, it held the severed head of a dwarf soldier, just one among dozens littering the ground at its feet. It stared at the remaining dwarves with a menacing stillness, the embodiment of dread.



“D-Damn it! Keep shooting!”

Magic bullets rained down like a storm against the Men of Stone as sounds of *pew* *pew* *pew* from the flashes of energy and deafening cracks of gunfire. Explosions rocked the ground as hundreds of soldiers focused their firepower on the stone giant to take it down.

But the Men of Stone seemed completely immune to their magic bullets. It raised its autocannon and unleashed a devastating volley of 25mm rocket-propelled rounds that tore through the ranks. Each impact obliterated dwarves into bursts of red mist, and their cries were drowned by the roar of the cannon.

Switching weapons, the stone colossus drew its adamantite chainsword and waded through the dwarven ranks like a reaper through a field, as the blade tore through soldiers with horrifying precision. Dozens of troops desperately fired their magic muskets, but their efforts were futile as the Men of Stone cut them down in a single merciless sweep.

In just minutes, the stone warrior had slaughtered 300 soldiers of the Iron Kingdom without breaking stride. It began moving forward, its gaze scanning the battlefield in search of its master.

Suddenly, the ground shook beneath its feet, and noticed a massive shadow standing above.

BOOM!

With a thunderous impact, the Ironstorm Dragon descended from the heavens and landed heavily behind him, shaking the earth with its massive form. The fifty-foot-tall beast stood tall, staring at the Men of Stone with an almost malevolent intelligence in its reptilian eyes.

The stone warrior slowly turned to face the dragon, locking onto the towering predator with its crimson gaze.

The Ironstorm Dragon spread its enormous wings wide open as the rays of sunlight pierced through the dark cloudy sky to illuminate its glimmering scales, making itself more intimidating and it let out an earth-shaking roar that echoed across the area as its wings stirred a howling wind.

"ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ"

In response to this, the Men of Stone’s deep mechanical voice broke the silence.

“Dangerous wildlife detected. Termination: authorized.”

“RAWRRRR!!”

The dragon responded with another roar that vibrated through the air like thunder.

The moment the beast roared, the Men of Stone instantly knew that things were about to become serious as he gripped its Bolter and Chainsword, ready to slaughter its enemies as it was programmed to do.

——————————————————————

“Fire!”

A soldier unleashed a hail of bullets from his AFMG-1 “Magebreaker” from his cover, mowing down a dozen dwarves who charged recklessly into the ambush.

The bursts of gunfire echoed through the forest as Paulo and the remaining twenty Special Operatives fought tooth and nail against the overwhelming numbers of the Iron Kingdom.

Not long after, the enemy's reinforcements arrived in waves, and soon another hundred dwarf soldiers moved forward with their muskets raised. The situation seemed grim, until Angelo, Marco, and Nathan arrived, flanking the dwarves from the right.

The dwarves, noticing the newcomers, turned and raised their weapons, but Angelo wasted no time. With a thunderous stomp, he propelled himself forward like a cannonball and closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

By the time the dwarves realized what had happened, Angelo was already in their midst.

“HAHH!”

One punch sent the first dwarf flying through the air.

And that was just the beginning as Angelo spun his body around, unleashing a high kick on the face of a second dwarf, followed by an axe kick on a third dwarf and a sweeping kick that take out two more dwarves in the face, sending them flying to a group of ten soldiers and knocking them over like dominoes.

“Jesus, when did the captain learn all of this?” Paulo muttered, watching in awe.

But there was no time to admire Angelo’s skills as more dwarves raised their muskets and fired a storm of magic bullets that lit up the forest in streaks of blue and white.

“Does anyone have an ASL?!” Nathan shouted over the chaos.

“We’ve only got a few rockets left after spending mostly on their Drilling Machines, Sergeant Nathan!”

“I don’t give a shit! Use it now!”

With no option left, the soldier with the Arcane Storm Launcher fired one of the last rockets, the projectile screaming through the air before exploding in the middle of a cluster of enemy troops, obliterating twenty dwarves along with a section of the forest, and the shockwave scattered debris in every direction.

“Captain! I’m almost out of ammo!” yelled a soldier wielding an AFMG-1 Magebreaker, still spraying bullets into the advancing forces.

Suddenly, the crack of a snapping tree branch echoed loudly above them. A small shower of leaves fluttered down as the soldier glanced upward. His eyes widened in alarm to see a glowing figure crouched on the branch, a dwarf clad in ornate armor, with a widened grin as he reached into his Spatial Ring.

“SHIT! ENEMY AT OUR SIX—!”

“Found you!”

Before the soldier could finish his warning, the dwarf, Dwalin, Prince of the Iron Kingdom, brought out a magic autocannon and leveled it at the soldier to shred that human to pieces.

The human reacted on instinct, swinging his Magebreaker into a hip-fire stance and fired, sending a meter long muzzle flashing into the forest, and spent empty cartridges flying off into the forest ground.

Dwalin frowned as the bullets shot the magic autocannon and knocked out of his hands.

Frustrated that his ambush had failed and didn't get the chance to see them being mowed by his gun, he drew his weapon of choice, a massive warhammer known as Stormbreaker.

Crackling with arcs of blue lightning, he leapt from the branch and slammed into the ground with thunderous force.

Crackle—BOOM!

The impact released a shockwave of electricity and launched the human soldier backward, dropping his roaring machine gun that fell against the ground from the soldier who yelled out in pain from the shock, struggling to crawl away.

Dwalin laughed, savoring the moment. He stepped forward and raised his hammer high, intent on turning the human into a smear on the frozen earth.

But before he could strike, an object moving in a blur slammed into his chest.

Bang!

The dwarf prince was thrown back several feet and landed heavily. He growled and looked up to see nine human soldiers advancing with their weapons raised, all wearing those mithril armor with strange designs.

In the center stood a very familiar face that Dwalin immediately recognized and didn't forget.

“You again,” Dwalin hissed venomously.

“Hey, man,” Angelo replied as he cocked his AF-1 Magelock Rifle. “Ready to get your ass handed to you again?”

“Not this time.” Dwalin’s voice was low, and lightning coiled around his warhammer.

“OPEN FIRE!”

And like that, the entire world before Dwalin lit up with gunfire and explosions as the battlefield descended into chaos twice as before.

Now that the Dwarf Prince had attacked from the rear and the Iron Kingdoms troops on the front, the Austronesian Empire’s Special Operative soldiers were forced to split their focus, where one group had to hold the line against the advancing Iron Kingdom troops, while the other faced the wrath of the Dwarf Prince himself.

————————————————————————

BOOOOMMMM!!!

Far from the battle, the Ironstorm Dragon flew across the forest, while grasping the Men of Stone with both arms and rammed through numerous trees.

Trees shattered like twigs under their momentum as the dragon’s wings beat furiously and dragged its prey higher into the sky.

As the Ironstorm Dragon continued to fly into the sky, the Men of Stone struck back with a thunderous jab to the dragon's chest. The impact reverberated through the dragon’s massive frame, forcing a pained roar from its maw. The blow was enough to loosen its grip, and the stone warrior fell toward the forest below.

The Dragon landed heavily soon after, his claws gouging deep furrows in the frozen earth. He watched as the Men of Stone hit the ground with a deafening crash, only to rise with mechanical precision.

The dragon’s golden eyes gleamed with intrigue. “I can sense the magic coursing through you. It's... peculiar,” the Ironstorm Dragon suddenly spoke in perfect English, with a smooth yet commanding voice. “Tell me, what are you? How did these fragile humans create something like you?”

“...”

The Men of Stone stood silent, its glowing eyes locked onto the dragon.

“Ah, of course. Golems are incapable of having awareness in speech.” The Dragon said. “I am Voltharion Ironclad, a minor Dragon Lord, the Guardian of the Iron Kingdom, and loyal servant of Grand Lord Hammerfall himself!”

As he declared his title, Voltharion drew his serpentine-like head back to unleash a crackling torrent of lightning that destroyed everything from the snowy ground to the trees several kilometers ahead into dust.

The Men of Stone’s advanced AI reacted instantly and rolled clear of the attack. It leaped forward with its Chainsword roaring to life, seeking to carve through dragon scales and taste the blood of the creature.

But Voltharion had not survived centuries without cunning. The moment the golem was within range, his massive tail lashed out and struck with the force of a battering ram, reversing his momentum and sending the golem rocketing back the way it came, and landed heavily on a tree with enough force to splinter it.

The dragon wasted no time and unleashed another blast of lightning. The bolt struck the golem dead-on, illuminating the forest in a brilliant flash. Yet when the smoke cleared, the Men of Stone stood unscathed, showing its mana-forged body impervious to the attack.

Realizing that its [Lightning Breath] was ineffectual, Voltharion flew off into the air and created shockwaves with his wings as he ascended. He swooped low, heading towards the Men of Stone before raking his claws down.

The single slash of it ripped the earth apart, erupting up in a burst of dirt, snow, and hard stone, but failed to catch its target. Having easily dodged the telegraphed attack, the Men of Stone moved around the dragon at fast speed.

Snarling, Voltharion snapped his jaws, seeking to crush his opponent in a single bite.

But...

BAM!

The Men of Stone countered with a punch to the side of the dragon’s head. Mana-enhanced strength within its metal-stone fist collided with ancient flesh and bone, the impact resounding like a cannon shot.

Voltharion staggered, shaking his head in fury before flapping his colossal wings with brutal force. The resulting gale threw the Men of Stone flying and slammed it into a massive tree that splintered on impact.

Extending his gigantic wings once more, Voltharion flies towards him at the speed that broke the sound barrier, causing the surrounding trees to bend in his direction from the strong force of his flight and their roots strained against the earth.

Despite the fact that it was going at a rate of traveling at the speed that may be able to easily catch up to a fighter jet, the Men of Stone avoided it by rolling to his right at the last moment.

Unable to halt his momentum, Voltharion smashed head first into a mountain. The impact triggered a tremor, sending avalanches of snow cascading down its slopes.

This gives the Men of Stone an opportunity to charge towards him with his Chainsword raised, but the Ironstorm Dragon recovered quickly and sweeped his tail in a wide arc.

The blow caught the golem mid-stride and toppled it to the ground. With a triumphant snarl, the dragon wrapped its claws around the Men of Stone’s leg and lifted it high before slamming it into the ground. The earth shook with each impact as Voltharion smashed the golem twice more before throwing it into a group of boulders, which exploded a few into rubble upon contact.

"ROARRRRRR!!"

Voltharion spread his wings wide and roared, a declaration of his dominance. Certain of his victory, he prepared to take flight when—

BOOM!

Voltharion was interrupted when that same massive boulder headed straight for his face. Taken by surprise, he did not manage to dodge the boulder as it struck him directly in the face and exploded in a burst of rock and smoke.

As the smoke cleared, it revealed the Dragon remained unharmed, but it only served to aggravate him.

With the dragon’s flank exposed, the Men of Stone went on the offensive as he planted his foot against the earth and the golem launched forward with a burst of astonishing speed, with the ground trembling under its momentum.

Voltharion, still recovering and certain of his opponent's defeat, was caught completely off guard.

BOOOM!

The impact was like a thunderclap amplified a thousandfold. The heat and the shockwave of the powerful explosion produced seemed to warp the very space itself, accompanied by a great roar of pain as the great bulk of the Ironstorm Dragon was thrown across the sky and crashed into a mountain kilometers away. The force of the collision sent tremors racing through the earth, shaking the entire forest as cracks webbed across the dragon’s chest plate, its legendary scales compromised.

The Men of Stone, however, paid a price for its strike as the backlash of its mana-infused punch blasted it hundreds of meters back and crashed violently into a cluster of trees that shattered upon impact.

Both combatants rose almost simultaneously, the dragon’s chest now scorched and fractured from the explosive blow.

Voltharion clutched at his cracked ribs, narrowing his golden eyes as he observed his opponent approaching him from a distance.

“I’ll give you credit for that,” he muttered, with blood dripping from his maw.

“...”

The Men of Stone advanced silently, unrelenting as its glowing eyes fixed on the dragon.

“As expected from a soulless construct, but it isn't enough to hurt me!” Voltharion growled, shaking off his injuries as he prepared to retaliate. But just as he crouched to lunge—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A sudden hailstorm of mana-infused 20mm rounds and missiles rained from the skies, slamming into the Ironstorm Dragon with devastating force.

The first salvo pierced his scales, leaving bruises and fractures across his right flank. A second missile struck his exposed arm, while a third exploded against his leg, forcing the mighty dragon to collapse onto the snow-laden ground.

Voltharion roared in frustration and pain, twisting his head to spot the attackers. In the distance, he saw four of these fast iron birds similar to the ones he destroyed earlier streaking through the clouds with predatory grace.

Weakened and bloodied, the dragon glared at the incoming jets. Voltharion could easily kill them if he so desired along with his pride screaming to fight, but due to his injuries, he could only helplessly watch as these iron contraptions unload another wave of missiles descending in his direction, and the payload detonated with pinpoint precision.

“Forgive me... Hammerfa—”

BOOOOOOMMM!!!

The explosion swallowed Voltharion in an inferno of mana-charged flames, the shockwave rattling the treetops and silencing the battlefield. When the firestorm cleared, nothing remained of the Ironstorm Dragon but charred remnants.

The Men of Stone, undeterred by the dragon’s death, turned its gaze to the sky. Above, a new squadron of F-12 Phoenix Fighter Jets roared past and headed toward the distant battlefield where the golem’s human masters still fought.