Should I? I mean, I was already going to uplift humanity bruised, bloodied and kicking and screaming because they weren't going to do it otherwise. It was a pretty even-
Dragon will be at the debrief and will whole-heartedly approve of your attendance. Also, Meatmaster will also be there and feel eminently annoyed about your presence.
Abundant opportunity to sexually harrass/tease Dragon in public.
SOLD!
"Very well, I'll attend the debriefing." I replied with all the regal manner of a king. "But I will certainly be bringing a security detail, I'm sure you understand."
"That's acceptable." Director Costa-Brown allowed.
"I'll see you then."
"We certainly will." She replied- I could almost hear the smile in her voice as the call ended.
Meanwhile, I glanced over to Chloe-0. The blonde gynoid stood there staring into space in her short red-dress as she managed the defences around the Manufactorum. And a bright idea hit me for making myself secure during that debriefing. Some preparations needed to be made, but it will be worth the extra security during the debriefing.
…
"There are more requested correspondence remaining, master." All three Chloes reported. "We have two hundred thirty-three left!"
"Omnissiah preserve me, dealing with whiny meatbags is tiresome." My modulated voice bemoaned.
"Do your best, master!" The Chloes pumped their fists- blonde ponytails bobbing and synthetic breasts jiggling in sync. Well, at least that was a motivating sight.
(Half an hour later)
I needed bigger guns, and in much greater numbers.
That was the immediate conclusion that I reached after analysing and meditating on the combat data.
Certainly, a great victory was achieved: Behemoth, 'defeated.' But the truth of the matter was: If Behemoth wasn't sandbagging so hard, I wouldn't have 'won' that fight. Behemoth was capable of sustaining far, far more damage than what the Adeptus Mechanicus was able to dish out at the time. The only reason that it retreated at all was because that massive, violent chunk of xeno-intelligence was programmed to retreat after it had either sustained or inflicted enough damage. I simply had only met that minimum level of damage quickly enough that it seemed that I had 'won.'
A company of servitors armed with weapons from the Dark Age of Technology and a forty-foot-tall (12m) Knight-Atrapos with its mega-lightsaber and giant black hole gun was the bare minimum of an attempt on its life. I lost almost half of my servitors in that fight, and my Knight-Atrapos had notable damage despite being made of the toughest materials I had.
And of all the weapons I've arrayed against Behemoth, only the Knight-Atrapos' Graviton Singularity Cannon had a good chance of destabilising an Endbringer core if it landed a good hit near the core- being the little-understood physics-bending gun that it was. And that was assuming the Endbringer just stood there and did nothing. Actual Endbringer-slaying was a tall order, but one that I was all too happy to fill. The Celestial Forge [A Matter of Scale] has given me the knowledge of how to make Titan-class weapons fit on my Imperial Knight. It will take time, but that was fine. I actually had time to build up my manufactorum now that Endbringer fight was out of the way
And wasn't that a relief!
I can focus on just expand my manufactorum. No more rushing to finish building the Knight-Atrapos, no more Heavy Bolters fabrication to hog my steel supply, no more bottlenecks for heavy metals caused by the need for more servitor-cogitators! I can focus on building my forges to smelt the metal, my consecrated assembly lines to move them, my fabricator-servitors to fabricate the products, and my shrines to the Omnissiah to invigorate and motivate the machine-spirits as they work endlessly.
It was time to mass-fabricate everything.
At least 10 Dakimakura designs for every character, waifu figurines of every pose and every costume, Lion Saber plushies, smartphones, patches, stickers, tablets, TVs, posters, bags, underwear, more toasters, kitchen appliances, cars, trucks, furniture.
And the sex dolls! BY THE MACHINE-GOD, ALL THE SEX DOLLS! (Well, except the lolis of course; because those were still illegal in the state. But with luck, Coil will change that. May Abigail be with you, you horny lolicon bastard.)
Brockton Bay will be the first city where every single thing in it was made by the Adeptus Mechanicus!
(36 hours later) [The heart of ABB Territory]
The atmosphere in Lung's throne room was tense and fearful. Fearful of him. That was good- only when everyone could feel why he was the boss of the Azn Bad Boys will they begin this gang… meeting.
"What is this?" Lung began- his deep voice low in a growl and threatening immense violence.
To his right, the ever-stoic Oni Lee stood- his Japanese oni mask visibility scanning the room for anyone who would speak out of turn. And to Lung's left, Bakuda- their newest recruit- did the same. Her blue eyes boredly meeting everyone's eyes as she idly tossed a grenade up in the air to catch it. The rhythmic meaty smack of palm against the metal sounding sufficiently intimidating- a reminder of what beatings will be dished out. None were foolish enough to make a noise while he talked… this time. Good.
Lung leaned forward in his throne- his metal dragon mask snarling down at the skinny, Vietnamese man cowering before him.
"Pl-please! I meant no disrespect!" The man grovelled- pressing his forehead against the carpet at the foot of Lung's throne.
"What. Is. This?" He repeated his question- pointing to the object that had earned his ire. The armrests of his metal throne glowed a vibrant red from his hands' fire.
"A s-sex doll, great Lung!" the skinny man sobbed, "One that I ordered from Magos!"
A Saber Artoria doll lay beside the prostrating man. And in his mind, Lung had to admit that if it wasn't so unnaturally still and its distinctly anime face, he would have mistaken it for a real person. Skin, white as snow and tinged soft pink. Hair, silken and flaxen gold. Stains, suspiciously fresh.
"Yes, so it is." Lung leaned back against his throne, "Now remind me, what is the main trade of the ABB?"
"Sex! Sex trafficking and p-prostitution!"
"So you do know." His deep voice hummed, "Then why choose to rent out your toys? In my city? In my territory?"
"I… I was just loaning her to a friend!" the Vietnamese man squealed- actively forcing his forehead against the carpet, "There was no payment involved, great Lung! It's true! I swear!"
"that's fucking nasty, dude." Bakuda muttered- the half-asian's face scrunched in disgust. And silently, Lung agreed with her. Punching his large fist towards the sex doll, he launched a bolt of flame that washed over the Saber doll- setting it alight and filling the room with the pungent stench of burning plastic.
"Seibah! NO!" the skinny man squealed as he watched his love doll burn to ash in front of his eyes. Lung ignored the twitch in some of his men- like they wanted to put out the fire and save the doll, but stopped themselves from moving at the last second.
"By moving on our territory- on our trade, Magos has declared war on the ABB." Lung announced the obvious to the rest of the ABB who stood at attention, "He is an enemy and I expect him to be treated as such if he enters our territory. Also…"
He turned his gaze back towards the burning heap that was ruining the carpet.
"None of you will purchase any sex dolls from Magos." He commanded, with some of his men stiffening in response likely because they also owned dolls like that, "Any person who disobeys that order will earn my anger… and will go the same way as this doll. Only slower."
The fearful looks that his men made assured him that they will be disposing of their own dolls as well. Good.
"Someone get this man a real blonde British whore." He growled. "I will not allow the misconception that Magos' sex dolls are in any way superior to our own… product."
"Oni Lee, sharpen your blades. Bakuda, prepare your bombs." Lung nodded to the two other capes of the ABB, "If Magos is foolish enough to stray from the safety of his workshop, the Azn Bad Boys will be there to punish him for his hubris!"
And as one, his gathered force of violent gang members howled and cheered. Some out of anger for Magos, but most out of fear of Lung. Good.
"...Wait, how do you know that Saber Artoria is British in her lore?" Bakuda whispered as an aside to him.
"Be quiet, you." He warned her.