Up close, this colossal monster resembled a moving fortress of steel:
Six giant, gear-and-spike-covered crab legs supported its massive, twisted, hill-like body, every movement accompanied by the grating shriek of metal friction.
Its left arm was the sharp drill of a pile driver, its right arm was the massive demolition saw, and the end of the soft but sturdy tail behind it, which was constantly spraying lasers, was the giant claw of a grabbing machine.
And in the chest of this steel behemoth was that strange Remnant!
At this moment, it was emitting an eerie glow. As the aether core vibrated, its incomplete body continuously absorbed and reassembled the surrounding metal debris, even autonomously constructing four rows of missiles on either side of its chest!
These changes made its appearance incredibly hideous and terrifying. Dazzling blue light burst forth intermittently from its surface, and high-voltage currents coursed freely over the metal, as if foretelling utter destruction for anyone who approached.
Moments later, it suddenly let out a silent but soul-shaking energy shriek! Its six massive feet crushed the ground, and its colossal body charged toward the group with devastating pressure!
"Spread out!" Anton roared, activating his Impact Drill and fearlessly slamming into one of the monster's front leg joints, attempting to disrupt its balance. Sparks flew everywhere, but the thick armor remained completely unscathed.
The demolition saw on the monster's right arm swept over with a screech that tore the air, and Anton immediately rolled away, the container behind him instantly sliced in half.
Ben roared, raising his War Pillar to block the drilling left arm that immediately followed. The terrifying impact force drove his feet deep into the ground and split the skin between his thumb and index finger.
Hu Tao flashed forward, her Staff of Homa ignited with blazing Purple Flame. Several fire lines shot accurately toward the junction between the monster's chest and abdomen, attempting to burn the pipelines, but they were deflected by a suddenly appearing Aether Shield, leaving only scorch marks.
Just then, Grace exclaimed, "Hu Tao, watch out for its tail!"
Hu Tao looked up and saw the grabbing machine's tail flashing with high-voltage arcs, followed by a laser beam shooting down fiercely!
Hu Tao spun away to dodge, and the Purple Flame transformed into a barrier that clashed head-on with the laser, resulting in a blinding flash of light.
Grace also hurled several Electromagnetic Bombs at its tail, disrupting the energy transmission. This caused the laser to weaken significantly and be overpowered by Hu Tao's Purple Flame.
The monster grew even angrier and stopped spraying the laser. The aether core in its chest flared intensely, and the four rows of missile bays instantly opened.
"Evasion!" Koleda shouted sharply, and everyone scrambled for cover. The missiles roared out, trailing exhaust flames, exploding into a continuous sea of fire across the plaza. Debris flew everywhere, and the shockwaves churned everyone's blood.
Seizing the opportunity, the monster rushed forward, raising its demolition saw high and slashing down with immense force toward Koleda, who was staggering from the explosion!
Grace immediately threw several Electromagnetic Bombs at it, attempting to disrupt its sensors, while shouting, "Koleda! Watch out!"
In the nick of time, Ben and Anton simultaneously erupted!
Ben violently stabbed his War Pillar into the ground next to the monster's other support leg, forcefully creating an obstruction; Anton, roaring, pushed his Impact Drill power to the maximum and slammed into the joint of the monster's saw-wielding arm from the side!
The monster's movement consequently stalled, and the trajectory of the demolition saw shifted slightly.
However, this slight deviation was not enough to save Koleda completely.
The next second, the violent airflow and splashing debris carried by the edge of the demolition saw struck her like a heavy hammer, sending her flying toward a cluster of scattered Ether crystals at the edge of the plaza!
Intense pain instantly swept over Koleda's entire body.
Just as she struggled to push herself up, her hand pressed against a cold piece of metal—it was the Prototype that had been towed here and was currently shut down!
It lay quietly beside the crystal pile, its body intact and completely untainted by the fused Aether Energy!
At this moment, the emergency operation instructions from her father's manuscript suddenly flashed through Koleda's mind.
The next moment, almost instinctively, she yanked open a hidden panel on the side of the cockpit and pressed an inconspicuous red button inside!
"Auxiliary power... activating!"
Buzz... A low hum echoed from within the Prototype. Inside the cockpit, the dashboard, silent for many years, lit up panel by panel, the soft light driving away the chill of the cabin.
Koleda quickly scrambled into the cockpit. A familiar yet strange sense of power was transmitted to her hands through the cold control stick.
"Dad... can I trust you one more time?" Koleda gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain in her body, and violently pushed the control stick.
The Prototype's massive body emitted a dull grinding sound of metal friction. Its four sturdy support legs slowly rose, and the engine let out a waking roar.
Like a sleeping steel behemoth awakened, its blue main sensor locked onto the rampaging monster in the distance.
"Hu Tao! Anton! Ben! Grace! Cover me!" Koleda's voice came through the Prototype's external speakers, filled with determined fighting spirit.
Hu Tao understood immediately. Her Staff of Homa erupted with an unprecedented purple glow. Instead of attacking, she channeled a wave of anti-corrosion purification energy with all her might, wrapping it around the core Remnant in the monster's chest like invisible chains!
The purple light violently collided with the core's green energy, creating a massive sound of energy annihilation. The monster's movements instantly became sluggish, and its shield flickered erratically.
"Now!" Anton and Ben charged fiercely toward the monster.
Anton's power Impact Drill viciously hammered the hydraulic weak point of one of the monster's support legs; Ben swung his War Pillar in a circle, smashing the joint connection of another leg with all his strength!
Grace, meanwhile, continuously threw more precise Interference Devices, attempting to disrupt the monster's sensors.
Under the full-force interference from the group, the monster's massive body shook violently, and the light from the core in its chest flickered intensely under Hu Tao's purification suppression, as if it might go out at any moment.
It tried to raise its demolition saw and drill to counterattack, but its movements were unusually stiff.
The Prototype's engine let out a deafening roar. Its four support legs erupted with astonishing power, driving the heavy chassis forward! Its target was the tall, blue monument with sharp obelisks standing in the center of the plaza!
It crushed the broken ground, moving faster and faster, like a cannonball shot from a barrel.
Koleda stared intently at the monster, whose movements were sluggish due to the group's interference, and at one of the monument's obelisks behind it, which gleamed with a cold, icy light under the plaza's faint illumination.
"Die—now!" Koleda screamed inside the cockpit, shoving the power throttle all the way forward!
The Prototype, with an unstoppable momentum, slammed violently into the monster's chest! The enormous impact shock the entire plaza.
The fused monster was pushed back repeatedly by this immense force, and the Remnant core in its chest emitted a dazzling light on the verge of shattering. It vainly wielded its drill and demolition saw, but it could not stop the advance of this steel torrent.
One step, two steps, three steps... Under the breathless gaze of everyone, the monster was held fast by the Prototype, and its back slammed heavily into that cold, sharp monument obelisk!
Pfft!
The sharp obelisk, like the Spear of Judgment, precisely pierced the flickering aether core in the monster's chest! The green light instantly exploded, dissipating into countless specks of light.
The massive body of the fused monster suddenly froze, and all its movements came to an abrupt halt.
The metal forming its body groaned under the strain. The Ether crystals quickly lost their luster, turning gray and brittle. The drill drooped, the demolition saw stopped spinning, and the laser-spraying tail hung down weakly.
At the same time, the Prototype also exhausted its last bit of power. The engine sound gradually faded, eventually falling silent.
Hu Tao and the others quickly rushed to the Prototype. Koleda looked pale; after giving them an "I'm fine" gesture, she collapsed onto the cockpit seat.
After a brief rest, Grace and Anton carefully helped the exhausted Koleda out of the cockpit.
Her face was pale, and she had bruises on her arm from the impact, but her eyes were unusually bright, showing the exhaustion and clarity of having shed a thousand pounds of burden.
"Koleda!" Grace hugged her tightly, her voice trembling with lingering fear. "You scared us to death!"
"I'm fine... really." Koleda gently patted Grace's back, but her gaze went past her, settling on the monument.
"Thank you, everyone..." she said softly. "Now, I finally understand why my dad did what he did back then..."
"He didn't run away with the money; he came alone, carrying proof that the final payment had been settled, to stop a larger conspiracy."
"In the end, he used his life and this Prototype to forcibly seal away this terrifying thing, buying precious time for Belobog Heavy Industries and for the entire region..."
By the end of her speech, she could no longer suppress her inner sorrow and burst into tears.
Ignoring the cuts on her face, Grace managed a small smile and comforted her, "You did very well. We are all proud of you."
Ben and Anton's eyes reddened, and they silently lowered their heads.
Hu Tao sighed softly, respect in her eyes. She walked up to the monument and looked at the sharp obelisk, as if paying respects to the father she had never met.
After a long time, Koleda's crying slowly subsided. She raised her head and wiped away the tears. Although her eyes were red and swollen, all confusion and resentment were gone, replaced only by a weighty sense of responsibility and the determination to carry on his legacy.
"We... are taking him home." Koleda's voice was still a little hoarse, but exceptionally clear. She was referring to the Prototype, and even more, to the honor of her father obscured by slander.
Then, she stepped past the two giant machines, walked to the monument, and gently stroked its surface.
"Dad," she said softly but firmly, "I will continue to guard what you protected. Belobog Heavy Industries... and everyone else... leave them to me."