"Do you have the guts to yell again?!"
The sturdy black man's voice boomed across the battlefield, carried by lungs enhanced beyond human capacity. He suddenly glared at Nolan with eyes that promised violence.
Then he casually threw Doom, who wore power armor that should have made him a formidable combatant, like a child's toy. The silver-armored figure flew through the air, tumbling end over end.
Doom crashed into a street building more than ten meters away. The impact was tremendous. Stone shattered. Wood splintered. The structure's facade collapsed inward, burying him in rubble.
The black man with completely naked upper body turned his full attention to Nolan. Muscles rippled across his torso, definition that spoke to enhancement far beyond normal human development. His chest heaved with exertion and rage.
"Bless the bear god! Bless the leopard god! Bless the tiger god!"
The invocation emerged as an extremely angry roar, voice carrying religious fervor and primal fury combined.
The next second, reality bent. Accompanied by the loud sound of two feet stomping on the ground hard enough to crack pavement, power manifested.
The shadows of ferocious animals appeared behind him one after another! Bear. Leopard. Tiger. Translucent forms layered over his body like spiritual armor. Each beast-spirit radiated protective force.
At the same time, the Frost Fang that had been circling rapidly through the air arrived. The thrown weapon completed its rotation, axe blade leading, heading directly for his exposed torso.
The black man raised a palm unhurriedly, movement almost casual. He pressed it hard between the broad axe blades, catching the weapon mid-flight.
Then he twisted his sturdy body with practiced efficiency and swung the Frost Fang back in the direction from which it came, returning Nolan's throw with interest!
Boom boom boom!
Instantly, the Stormtroopers opened fire. Terrifying firepower continuously bombarded the tall body of the black man from multiple angles.
The impact of repeated grenade explosions forced him to retreat. Each detonation pushed him backward, boots scraping across pavement. Fire washed over him. Shrapnel pelted his form.
But the explosions could not break through the layers of ferocious animal shadows protecting him! The spirit-beasts absorbed kinetic energy, dispersing force that should have shredded flesh.
Libra stood firm despite the onslaught, protected by gods Nolan didn't believe in.
However, just as Nolan raised his hand to catch the returning Frost Fang, just as he prepared to drive his power armor forward and engage directly, another voice rang out.
"Come and taste the anger of the Latverian people!"
The low roar sounded from ruins not far away, accompanied by the sound of shifting debris.
Doom, who had just been thrown through a building by the black man, had actually adjusted his state with remarkable speed. He drove his power armor out of the collapsed structure, emerging from dust and rubble.
His dark green cloak with broken edges fluttered dramatically in the wind, tattered fabric snapping like a battle standard.
Doom's two metal palms suddenly rose, positioning themselves at the middle of his ceramite steel breastplate. His fingers found purchase on specific points.
Then, several fingertips twisted the edge of the breastplate outward, activating release mechanisms. The armor opened like petals, revealing what lay beneath!
Just below the breastplate, four Ark reactors positioned between a large number of electro-fiber bundles immediately reacted. They emitted terrifying humming that grew rapidly in volume and intensity. Dazzling light poured from the exposed cores, blue-white and searingly bright.
In an instant, four extremely thick impact beams blasted toward the black man who was still firmly suppressed by explosive fire from the Stormtroopers!
The concentrated energy was apocalyptic. Atmospheric ionization created thunder. Photons painted everything in harsh radiance.
The black man let out a strange cry, animal and human tones merged. His arms retracted quickly to his chest, muscles bunching as he tried to make a defensive posture.
The animal shadows thickened, layering protection.
However, the assault continued for seconds that stretched eternal. The impact beams poured continuous energy into the same point, never wavering.
The heavy animal shadows behind the black man's spine flickered. Wavered. Then completely dissipated, protection overwhelmed by sustained fire.
Then, even his entire flesh and blood body began to change. Skin blackened. Muscle liquefied. Bone turned to ash. He gradually melted into the continuous impact beams, molecular bonds breaking under impossible heat!
Libra's strong body and life disappeared completely, reduced to constituent atoms that scattered on the wind.
After the execution finished, after the enemy was confirmed dead, Doom's magnetic boots stepped backward several paces. The motion was involuntary, servos compensating for balance lost.
He barely managed to close the ceramite steel breastplate that had been opened on his chest. His fingers fumbled with locks, hands trembling from exertion.
A trace of snow-white heat dissipation mist rose from the gaps in his power armor, steam venting from overheated systems.
At first glance, the effect was spectacular. Doom stood wreathed in vapor like some ancient steam-powered war god.
"Doom, where is the other Zodiac?"
Nolan, who had caught and re-equipped the Frost Fang, stepped forward. The Blood Scythe remained ready in his other hand, green light pulsing hungrily.
He stared at Doom through his eyepiece, voice carrying urgency. Seven Zodiac members accounted for. One remained.
"The old man was just observing the battle nearby, but now he's missing." Doom's response came between heavy breaths, exhaustion coloring his tone.
"I originally thought he went to deal with the rebels, but from the sounds coming from the surroundings and the battle reports on the communication channel, the other party seemed to have no signs of attacking!"
Doom delivered his report without hesitation despite his condition.
Hearing this, Nolan nodded his metal helmet in acknowledgment. Tactical reassessment required.
He turned and waved his metal palm at the three Stormtroopers who'd provided fire support. Osprey, Craig, and Gao Qi.
They immediately replaced ammunition in their grenade launchers, fresh magazines sliding into place with mechanical clicks.
Then they began to quickly search the nearby streets and buildings, moving in coordinated patterns. Checking corners. Clearing structures. Hunting the missing Aquarius.
Only then did Nolan turn his sight back to Doom. Other questions demanded answers.
"Doom, how is the combat data of the power armor you modified?"
The inquiry was direct, seeking practical assessment from field testing.
"It still needs a lot of adjustments and redesigns." Doom's response carried frustration mixed with analytical detachment. "In order to maintain the energy flow of the Ark reactors, the power armor that reduces some electro-fiber bundles and servo devices has slowed down my movements and reactions. I need to find a balance between the two..."
He paused, then admitted, "This is not a successful attempt."
Doom shook his metal helmet slightly, the gesture conveying disappointment with his engineering.
The problem was clear: power versus agility. Raw destructive output from the reactors required sacrificing the servo systems that enhanced speed. The tradeoff needed optimization.
However, just when Nolan prepared to continue the technical discussion, David's mechanical voice suddenly came through the communication channel. The interruption was perfectly timed.
"My Lord, Mr. Doom, the rebels with high fighting spirit have occupied all the important facilities in Hassenstadt City, and the remaining Hassenstadt troops have chosen to surrender."
A pause for emphasis. "This means that Hassenstadt City has been successfully liberated by us!"
As soon as David's voice finished delivering that pronouncement, Nolan and Doom looked at each other through their eyepieces.
Victory. Against all odds. Against supernatural enemies and entrenched power.
Then, two metal arms rose and collided heavily in celebration. The impact rang like a bell, ceramite striking ceramite.
Even inside the helmets of both combatants, faint chuckles emerged. Exhausted. Relieved. Triumphant.
Soon after, the reality of liberation became visible throughout Hassenstadt's streets.
The city was littered with corpses and broken walls. Destruction marked every block. Smoke rose from dozens of fires. Blood stained ancient stone.
But among the ruins, life reasserted itself.
Countless calmed civilians and resistance fighters walked hand in hand through the heavy smoke that had not yet extinguished. They moved in procession, a river of humanity flowing through devastated streets.
They kept humming traditional songs with slightly sad tunes. The melodies were old, predating the Fortunov family's rule by centuries. Folk songs. Dirges.
This was to commemorate the relatives, friends and compatriots who died in the liberation of Latveria. Remembering the cost. Honoring sacrifice.
While everyone participated in picking up debris and cleaning damaged streets, while rebuilding began before the bodies cooled, Doom worked on other matters.
With David's help, he prepared a speech to address all citizens. Words needed. Leadership required. The future demanded shaping.
Meanwhile, Nolan, carrying the Blood Scythe, led the Stormtroopers on a different mission. They shuttled through the streets and alleys of Hassenstadt, searching systematically.
They kept hunting for the missing Zodiac member. Aquarius. The old man who specialized in magic.
However, the search proved fruitless. Until night fell again, until darkness reclaimed the city, they found nothing.
Accompanied by ubiquitous broadcasts from every functioning speaker, Doom's inspiring and passionate speech and declaration of founding a nation echoed across Hassenstadt.
His voice carried hope. Promise. Vision of better futures.
But Nolan and his team never found any trace of their quarry.
Finally, when Nolan met Doom again after the speech concluded, after the celebrations quieted, he made a corresponding judgment based on available evidence.
Either the last Zodiac had seen that the battlefield situation was hopeless and chosen to escape, fleeing to preserve his life.
Or, more likely, he'd used the teleportation technology to return to Leviathan's lair. Back to the alien spacecraft of unknown origin.
Intending to make a comeback with the leader of Leviathan, Gemini. Regrouping. Reinforcing. Preparing counterattack.
So Nolan and Doom, who wanted to completely eliminate the threat at its root, prepared for the next battle. No half-measures. Total victory or nothing.
And for the necessary safety and smooth progress of the operation, Nolan made specific equipment requests.
He planned to use the enemy's own teleportation technology to carry out boarding tactics. The strategy was straightforward: teleport directly into the alien ship and bring the war to Gemini's doorstep.
For this, he even asked David to transport the six-armed Terminator armor from the Twin Islands base. The heavy assault variant. Built for close-quarters slaughter in confined spaces.
Not long after, Nolan stood in a cleared warehouse. A team of automatic servo robots swarmed around him, helping remove his standard power armor and don the massive Terminator plate.
Piece by piece, the armor locked into place. Heavier. Slower. But vastly more durable. Perfect for ship boarding actions where agility mattered less than ability to absorb punishment.
Meanwhile, Doom had been researching. He found results about the existence and function of the gold ornaments recovered from dead Zodiac members.
"These gold ornaments themselves do not have the ability to transmit. They are just equivalent to a beacon." Doom's explanation emerged analytical, his genius mind having dissected the technology's principles.
"Judging from past situations, the transmission technology controlled by Leviathan may not be able to distinguish between enemies and friends... If the Cancer Zodiac was not lying, then anyone can use it easily. The method is also very simple. Just stimulate the internal signal directly."
At this moment, Doom, wearing his dark green cloak over damaged silver armor, turned his power armor to face Nolan fully.
He delivered his report slowly, carefully, wanting to ensure complete understanding.
Hearing Doom's words, Nolan responded without raising his head. His attention remained focused on checking the four servo mechanical arms mounted on the Terminator armor's back.
Each appendage was equipped with different weapons. Storm bolter. Power fist. Heavy flamer. The variety promised flexibility in whatever environment awaited.
"In this case, then we will carry out a special boarding mission..."
His voice carried certainty. Decision made. Course set.
Then he raised his head, meeting Doom's gaze through their respective eyepieces. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"After all, this is also a traditional project in our team."
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