The ocean was no longer peaceful.
Across hundreds of kilometers, the water churned violently as dozens of Titans rose from the depths. Their enormous bodies created waves that crashed like storms across the Pacific.
Thirty-seven Titans.
An army.
Inside the cockpit of Guardian Unit G-01, Arin Vale stared at the tactical display. Red markers filled the holographic map surrounding the base.
"This is insane…" he muttered.
Astra's calm voice echoed beside him.
"The swarm is approaching rapidly."
Arin switched the view to external cameras.
Through the dark water, he could already see massive shapes moving.
Dozens of colossal shadows swimming toward them.
Each Titan was different.
Some had armored shells.
Others had enormous claws or glowing energy cores.
But they all shared one thing.
Destruction.
Two Guardians Rise
For the first time since the ancient civilization fell, two Guardian units stood side by side.
Guardian G-01, Arin's original machine.
And Guardian G-02, the heavy combat unit recently awakened.
G-02 looked like a walking fortress.
Its armor was thicker, its arms larger, and its back carried massive weapon systems designed for large-scale destruction.
Arin activated the communication link.
"Astra, can I control both units?"
"Yes, Commander," Astra replied.
"However, dual control will place heavy strain on your neural interface."
Arin smiled slightly.
"Then we'll do it carefully."
He activated Dual Guardian Control Mode.
Both machines moved simultaneously.
The Titan army was now less than ten kilometers away.
The battle for the ocean was about to begin.
First Clash
The first Titan reached them within minutes.
It lunged forward with a massive armored head, trying to crush Guardian G-01.
Arin reacted instantly.
G-01 dodged sideways while G-02 stepped forward.
The heavy Guardian raised its arm.
A massive rail cannon emerged from its forearm.
BOOM.
The cannon fired.
The Titan's head exploded in a burst of energy.
But that was only the beginning.
The rest of the swarm surged forward.
War in the Ocean
The next few minutes became chaos.
Titans attacked from every direction.
Some lunged through the water.
Others launched energy blasts from their glowing cores.
Arin fought with intense focus.
G-01 moved quickly through the battlefield, slicing Titans apart with the Titanbreaker Sword.
Meanwhile, G-02 acted as the shield.
Its heavy armor absorbed massive attacks while its cannons destroyed enemies at long range.
Titan after Titan fell.
But the swarm kept coming.
Astra spoke suddenly.
"Commander… something is controlling them."
Arin frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"These Titans are coordinating their attacks."
Which meant only one thing.
There was a leader.