Intergalactic conquest with an AI

The Tyrant-Class unit itself was a sight to behold on the battlefield. Leading from the front, it unleashed a torrent of destruction, its heavy plasma blaster obliterating entire groups of Nexum defenders with each pull of the trigger.

When enemies attempted to close the distance, its disruptor blade ignited, humming with deadly energy as it carved through anything in its path.

One defender, desperate and panicked, trowed a grenade toward the advancing behemoth. The explosion was deafening, filling the hallway with fire and shrapnel. But as the smoke cleared, the Tyrant emerged unscathed, its energy shield flickering briefly before stabilizing.

It turned its glowing red visor toward the attacker and raised its plasma blaster, firing a single shot. The defender didn't even have time to scream.

The Tyrant's cold, mechanical voice echoed through the facility's communications.

<<Enemy resistance is minimal. Continue advance. Do not relent.>>

Your journey continues with empire

Unlike many of Cleo's creations, this Tyrant unit had escaped the chaotic "touch" of the infamous Rex virus.

Designed and deployed just before Rex had time to work his peculiar brand of programming magic, it remained a pure Kaelzar killing machine, perfectly functional, utterly ruthless, and devoid of anything resembling mercy or empathy.

It was a monster in every sense of the word.

Inside the Nexum facility, the defenders morale was breaking. They were outmatched on every front. The Blood Legion was relentless, a hurricane of death that tore through their ranks with calculated efficiency. Desperate cries echoed through the communications.

"Fall back to the main research lab! We need reinforcements!"

But there were no reinforcements. Outside, the Nexum forces were struggling just to survive against the Mauler and the other Kaelzar forces. Inside, the Twin Legion advanced like a machine-driven tide, clearing room after room with brutal precision.

In one corridor, a group of Nexum defenders attempted to mount a last stand. They barricaded themselves behind overturned desks and crates, aiming their weapons at the advancing legion. The Tyrant-Class unit stepped forward, its disruptor blade humming to life.

"Hold the line!" one of the defenders shouted, his voice trembling. "We can stop it!"

The Tyrant tilted its head slightly, as if observing the barricade with cold curiosity. Then, with a single swing of its blade, it cut through the makeshift cover and the defenders behind it. Their screams were brief, lost in the sound of the blade's deadly hum.

Behind the Tyrant, the Blood Legion swept in to finish the job, their plasma rifles firing with mechanical precision. The corridor was silent once more, save for the crackle of burning debris.

<<All resistance in Sector 3 neutralized. Moving to next objective.>>

The Tyrant led its forces deeper into the facility. Nexum's once-proud defenses were crumbling, and the experimental research stored within the lab was now at risk.

But the Tyrant didn't care. It didn't feel pride or satisfaction. It didn't feel anything.

It was a machine of war, designed for one purpose: to destroy.

And it was doing its job perfectly.

While the chaos raged inside the Nexum facility, the battlefield outside had descended into pure anarchy. The militia forces, ragged and desperate, were still attempting to hold back a squad of the Blood Legion.

But calling it a "fight" would be generous since it was more like a massacre. The Blood Legion moved like shadows, their crimson armor gleaming under the dying light of the battle.

Their attacks were precise, ruthless, and devastating, leaving the militia scrambling and hopelessly outclassed.

At the north sector, the massive Mauler had begun to show signs of wear. The once-imposing juggernaut bore the scars of battle, its armor dented and scorched in several places.

Though none of the damage was critical yet, the Nexum mecha units had adopted a strategy that threatened to push it to the brink.

Their approach was painfully simple but devastatingly effective: hit-and-run. They darted in and out of range, landing precise strikes on the Mauler's weaker spots before retreating just as the Mauler prepared to retaliate.

Like a pack of wolves bringing down a bear, they aimed to bleed the Mauler dry, chipping away at its armor bit by bit. While the Mauler's sheer power allowed it to crush anything within range, its slow movements made it vulnerable to this relentless assault.

The battlefield shook with every step the Mauler took, but its movements were growing sluggish, and even its plasma bolts were firing less frequently. The pilots of the Nexum mechas were proving why they were elites, coordinated, disciplined, and ruthlessly efficient.

But the northern chaos paled in comparison to the carnage unfolding nearby, where Nyra and Lyra were still locked in a brutal fight against Gustav.

"Sister! What the hell is wrong with this flea bag!? Why is he getting stronger!?" Nyra growled while dodging one of Gustav's massive claws. She spun mid-air and delivered a powerful kick to his side, but instead of sending him flying, the impact merely caused her to recoil.

"How would I know!? I'm not a damn veterinarian!" Lyra shouted back, her voice strained as she continued firing round after round at Gustav, but none of her shots managed to hit him.

His movements were erratic but unnervingly precise, his animalistic reflexes enabling him to dodge each bullet. Frustrated but focused, Lyra shifted her strategy. She began firing deliberately wide, forcing Gustav to react and trying to create openings for her sister to land a decisive blow.

But Gustav wasn't just dodging. His roars grew louder, more feral, reverberating across the battlefield. The sharp intelligence that once glimmered in his yellow eyes was gone, replaced by an unrelenting bloodlust.

He no longer resembled the lionlike humanoid they'd faced earlier; he was a beast now, driven only by primal instincts to kill and destroy.

"What the hell is wrong with him!?" Nyra shouted while barely dodging another of Gustav's swipes. Her voice was tinged with both anger and concern. "Did he lose his mind because we kicked his butt the first time we met?"

Nyra stopped holding back. She abandoned her usual tactic of conserving her blood reserves and unleashed the full power of her abilities. Blood-red tentacles sprouted from her body, writhing in the air like living weapons.

Each one lashed out at Gustav with blinding speed, forcing him to backpedal slightly. A faint, crimson mist surrounded Nyra, solidifying into shields whenever Gustav tried to land a blow.

This technique was one she and Lyra had learned from the blood clan assassins who now served under their command. It was devastatingly effective but came with a steep price.

The blood mist and tentacles consumed vast amounts of energy, and even experienced blood clan warriors risked death if they pushed themselves too far.

"Nyra, are you insane!? You can't keep this up for long!" Lyra yelled, her eyes darting between her sister and Gustav as she tried to keep pace with the chaotic fight.

Nyra grinned while her crimson eyes glowing with wild energy. "Don't worry about me! I'll be fine! This bastard isn't going to make a fool out of us!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Gustav let out another bone-shaking roar, his claws raking through the air as he charged Nyra. Despite her enhanced abilities, she struggled to push him back. His raw strength was overwhelming, and his strikes came faster and harder with every passing moment.

"What's wrong with him!?" Nyra shouted as she dodged another claw swipe. "Is he getting stronger just to piss me off!?"

"He's probably using some kind of drug," Lyra replied while sprinting to avoid being crushed by one of the Mauler's massive metallic feet as it stumbled nearby. "It's got to be experimental; there's no way he's naturally like this. The way he's acting... losing his mind has to be a side effect!"

Nyra growled in frustration, her tentacles lashing out wildly, but Gustav managed to dodge most of them, closing the distance between them again.

"AAAAAAAAH! This is all a mess! When Master wakes up, she's going to beat us again!" Nyra's voice cracked with a mix of anger and dread as she realized how out of hand the situation had become.

She could already imagine Cleo's furious face as she surveyed the aftermath of the battle.

The blood loss.

The destruction.

The damage of the Mauler while fighting against the mecha units.

Gustav is going berserk.

Just the thought of it sent a shiver down her spine.

"Sis, focus! We can't screw this up more than it already is!" Lyra shouted while trying to keep her sister's attention on the fight as Gustav lunged toward them again, his roar splitting the air.

As the Mauler continued its slow, staggering rampage, the twin sisters knew they were running out of time. If the battlefield didn't break first, they would.

But Nyra wasn't about to let that happen. "Alright, flea bag," she growled, her tentacles coiling tighter as the crimson mist around her thickened. "If you're not going to go down quietly... then we'll see who runs out of strength first!"

On top of one of the Nexum facility rooftops, the battle between Harlix and Lilla's brother raged with unrelenting ferocity. The steel structure beneath them groaned under the weight of their clash, the air crackling with energy and the smell of scorched metal.

Harlix fought with almost mechanical precision, his attacks coming in relentless waves. From medium range, his electrified whips lashed out like serpents, sparking and hissing as they tore through the air.

When he closed the distance, which he did often, thanks to his teleportation, he switched to his devastating fists. Each punch was an explosion waiting to happen, causing bursts of fire and shockwaves upon impact.