Sector 9 was a graveyard of mechs.
Twisted metal skeletons of walkers jutted out of the swamp like dead trees. The fog was so thick you could taste the chemical burns.
[Visibility: 10%.] [Enemy Presence: High.]
"Keep it tight!" the Sergeant hissed. "Watch your corners!"
I took point. My Ouroboros arm was throbbing. It knew we were close to death.
In previous loops, I died here in a dozen different ways. Mined floor. (I stepped carefully over the tripwire). Ambush from the ceiling. (I shot the grate above us before the creature could drop).
"How does he know?" I heard Miller whisper behind me. "It's like he's been here before."
We reached the central generator room. This was the objective. Plant the bomb, blow the grid, retreat.
Simple.
Too simple.
[WARNING: Seismic Activity Detected.]
"Contact!" I screamed. "Get back!"
The floor exploded.
A massive mechanical hand, wreathed in red lightning, burst through the concrete. It was an Iron Ascendancy Centurion—an elite hunter-killer unit. It was three times the size of a human, armored in black plasteel, wielding a chainsaw-sword.
The Centurion roared—a digital screech that shattered glass.
"Open fire!" the Sergeant yelled.
Bullets bounced off its armor like rain. The Centurion lunged, its chainsaw revving. It was aiming for Miller.
Not again.
I didn't think. I moved.
I tackled Miller out of the way, taking the blow on my shoulder. The impact threw me across the room. I hit the wall hard enough to crack the concrete.
"Caelum!"
I coughed blood. The Centurion turned toward me, its red optic eye glowing. It raised the chainsaw for the killing blow.
"Specialist Caelum," Vesper's voice was in my ear. She sounded... frantic? "Retreat! That is a Class-A threat. You cannot fight it!"
I can't fight it with a gun. But I have something else.
I looked at my right arm. The sleeve of my uniform was torn, revealing the black, jagged metal of the Ouroboros.
"Unlock Limiters," I whispered.
[System Acknowledged.] [Releasing Stored Kinetic Energy: Life #4,999.]
The gauntlet shrieked. Blue neon veins lit up along my arm, burning through the fabric. The air around me distorted, gravity bending under the weight of the energy I was holding.
"What is that?" Vesper whispered over the comms. "What is that energy signature?"
The Centurion swung the sword.
I didn't dodge. I stepped into the swing.
I caught the chainsaw blade with my bare metal hand.
Sparks showered us. The Centurion's servos whined, trying to push against me. It couldn't move. I was holding the force of a falling star in my grip.
"You're in my way," I growled.
I punched.
[Tech-Art: KINETIC IMPACT.]
My fist connected with the Centurion's chest plate.
There was no sound at first. Then, a boom that shattered every window in the building. A beam of pure blue force blasted through the Centurion, coring it out completely. The machine didn't fall; it evaporated. The blast continued behind it, punching a hole through the back wall of the bunker and clearing the fog for a mile.
Steam poured off my arm. My skin was blistered red from the heat.
I fell to my knees, gasping for air.
[Charge Depleted.]
Silence. Absolute silence.
Then, Vesper's voice returned. It was trembling.
"Unit 7... report."
I looked up at the smoking hole in the wall.
"Mission accomplished, Ma'am," I rasped. "Can I go home now?"