Halochassis

Chapter 45 - Autonomous Guard Block

Risha had been holding a blade to Garruk's throat all along. The instant her disguise was no longer necessary, her expression turned ice-cold. Without wasting another heartbeat, she lunged forward, her dagger slicing through the air in a silver arc aimed straight for his neck. The blade whistled sharply, carrying enough force to sever flesh and bone in a single strike.

Clang!

Instead of biting into skin, the dagger bounced away with a shower of bright sparks. The impact rang like steel striking an anvil, vibrating painfully through Risha's wrist. Her eyes widened for the briefest moment as she realized Garruk's neck had transformed into a glittering layer of diamond-like crystal that reflected the room's lantern light.

"Fool. I am impenetrable." Garruk threw his head back and laughed, his booming voice echoing throughout the grand chamber. His massive arm swung toward Risha with frightening speed, the warlord's fist tearing through the air hard enough to create a loud gust that rattled nearby furniture.

Risha sprang backward before the blow could connect. She landed in a low crouch, her boots scraping against the polished stone floor. Without pausing, she flicked both daggers from her hands. The twin blades spun with deadly precision and buried themselves into the throats of Garruk's attendants. Their eyes widened in horror as blood sprayed across the marble floor. They collapsed almost instantly, their bodies hitting the ground with heavy thuds that echoed through the now silent hall.

Risha clicked her tongue in frustration. She had expected as much. Garruk Stonehill, the infamous Mount Kaiser, possessed the Autonomous Guard Block ability. Any attack that threatened his life would be intercepted by his Diamond Hardening Skill, causing the targeted part of his body to become nearly indestructible. Assassinations, surprise attacks, even enchanted weapons meant nothing against a defense that reacted faster than thought itself.

"So, you are no ordinary whore," Garruk said with a crooked grin. He casually stretched out one hand, and golden mana gathered around his palm. The air shimmered before a gigantic warhammer materialized from thin air. Its iron head was covered in jagged spikes, and its tremendous weight cracked the floor the moment he rested it beside him. "You'll receive a brutal kind of pounding."

"The one who's going to be pounded into the ground is you, Garruk Stonehill!" Risha shouted back, her voice trembling with fury. "You think you're a mountain, but you're nothing more than a giant pile of shit!"

Garruk raised an amused eyebrow instead of becoming angry.

"You seem to know me." He rested the enormous hammer over one shoulder and smirked. "Have I bedded you before? Huh?"

Risha's fingernails dug into her palms until they nearly drew blood. Rage burned behind her crimson eyes, while years of buried hatred threatened to spill over.

"Never." Her voice came out cold enough to freeze the air between them. "Do you remember Captain Han?"

"Captain Han..." Garruk stroked his thick mustache as if searching through old memories. After a few seconds, his eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh, that pervert." He burst into laughter. "Of course I know him. He's rotting in prison, isn't he? Come to think of it... you do resemble him."

"He is my father." Every word escaped through clenched teeth. Risha's glare could have killed a lesser man. "He was stripped of his knighthood because of your false accusations. He spent years imprisoned because of your rotten lies."

"I'd say he deserved it." Garruk shrugged carelessly before laughing again, his cruel amusement filling the chamber.

"Everything that happened was your fault!" Risha roared, unable to contain herself any longer. Her voice echoed through the hall with enough force to shake the hanging chandeliers. "My father never sexually assaulted that priestess. It was you! You were the one who did it! You framed him because you needed a convenient scapegoat to protect your filthy reputation!"

"You are spouting nonsense." Garruk snorted dismissively. "It was your father who raped that priestess, not me." His grin widened into something utterly disgusting. "Or are you simply too pathetic to accept that your father betrayed your mother? Hahaha!"

"I've heard enough of your bullshit."

Risha raised both hands, revealing the sleek mechanical gloves wrapped around her forearms. Tiny gears rotated beneath their metallic surface as blue streams of energy pulsed through intricate runic circuits.

"It's time to bury you for good." Her eyes blazed with determination. "Awaken... Mastema!"

The gloves exploded outward in a dazzling burst of white light. Thousands of mechanical plates unfolded like blooming petals, rapidly expanding around her body. The pieces clicked together with perfect precision, covering her from head to toe in gleaming white armor. A single majestic horn extended from the helmet, while a crimson visor illuminated where her eyes rested. Standing nearly three meters tall, the completed Halochassis radiated overwhelming power that filled the chamber with a low mechanical hum.

A large shield materialized on Mastema's left arm. With another series of metallic clicks, the shield unfolded as a long, razor-sharp blade extended from its center, gleaming with an ominous silver light.

"Prepare yourself!" Mastema declared, her amplified voice reverberating like rolling thunder.

She launched herself forward with explosive speed. The stone floor shattered beneath her feet, sending cracks racing across the chamber as she closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Her shield blade carved through the air, leaving a brilliant white trail before crashing directly into Garruk's torso.

CLANG!

The impact exploded with a deafening metallic roar. Sparks erupted in every direction, briefly illuminating the room like fireworks.

Yet Garruk did not move.

Not even a single step.

His body had once again become coated in shimmering diamond, the crystal surface reflecting Mastema's blade without the slightest scratch. His Autonomous Guard Block had activated the instant the attack threatened him, hardening his body into an invulnerable fortress. Even the tremendous strength of a Halochassis failed to leave so much as a mark.

Garruk slowly looked down at the blade pressed against his chest before raising his eyes toward Mastema. A smug smile spread across his face, as though the attack had been nothing more than a gentle tap.

“No matter what you do, it will only end one way,” Garruk declared with absolute confidence. His booming voice echoed across the shattered hall as he tightened his grip around the massive warhammer. Veins bulged along his thick arms before he swung the weapon downward with terrifying force.

“Earth Smash!”

The colossal hammer struck the ground with a thunderous explosion.

BOOOOOOM!

A violent shockwave burst outward in every direction, tearing through stone like paper. The floor beneath Garruk instantly caved in, sending enormous slabs of marble and steel crashing into the levels below. Dust erupted into the air, broken pillars toppled one after another, and chunks of debris flew like deadly shrapnel. The entire building trembled as if an earthquake had swallowed its foundations.

Mastema reacted the instant the hammer landed. White thrusters ignited behind her legs with a sharp hiss, propelling the Halochassis backward in a flash of light. The destructive shockwave barely grazed her armor as she slid across the collapsing floor, fragments of stone bouncing harmlessly off her mechanical frame. Had she hesitated for even a fraction of a second, she would have been buried beneath several stories of rubble.

Inside the cockpit, Risha remained calm despite the chaos surrounding her. Countless pages of intelligence reports flashed through her mind. Garruk Stonehill, the Mount Kaiser, had served as the immovable vanguard of the Celestial Wardens during the war against the Demon King. Every battlefield account described the same impossible reality. No sword had pierced his flesh. No spell had broken his defense. No monster had ever managed to draw even a single drop of his blood. His Autonomous Guard Block made him the greatest living fortress.

That was exactly why Risha had spent years preparing a way to defeat him.

"I don't need to pierce your armor," she whispered.

Mastema slowly raised her mechanical hand toward Garruk. A soft blue glow gathered around her palm as invisible waves distorted the surrounding air.

Garruk suddenly frowned.

"...Huh?"

His enormous body abruptly lifted off the ground.

The giant warlord flailed his arms as his boots lost contact with the earth, floating several meters into the air as though gravity itself had abandoned him.

"W-Whoa! What's this? Telekinesis!?"

His confident laughter disappeared, replaced by genuine panic.

Risha closed her fingers into a fist. With a violent flick of Mastema's arm, the invisible force exploded forward.

Garruk's massive body shot across the battlefield like a cannonball.

BOOOOOOM!

He smashed through the castle wall in an eruption of stone and glass before flying into the ruined district outside. His body continued hurtling through the air until it crashed into the remains of a building that Armaros had demolished earlier. The impact blasted a cloud of dust hundreds of feet into the sky and carved an enormous crater into the ground. Broken masonry and shattered timber rained from above as the surrounding ruins trembled from the collision.

"GOD DAMN IT!"

Garruk's furious roar echoed across the battlefield.

He slammed one fist into the ground and forced himself upright, pieces of broken stone sliding from his diamond-coated body. His magnificent beard was covered in gray dust, and fragments of brick tumbled from his broad shoulders.

"Why the hell are you destroying my buildings and castles!?"

"We're going to burn your little empire to the ground."

The emotionless mechanical voice came from behind him.

Garruk slowly turned around.

Standing atop the ruined streets was a towering white Halochassis. Mastema.

Then another metallic silhouette landed several dozen meters to his left, its enormous wings folding behind its back. It was Samael.

A third descended from the sky on his right, shaking the earth beneath its feet. Armaros.

Azazel emerged from the settling dust directly in front of him, its black armor gleaming beneath the afternoon sun while its crimson visor glowed like the eyes of a hunting predator.

The four Halochassis silently surrounded him from every direction.

"...Are you..." Garruk muttered, his voice noticeably quieter than before. "...the Halochassis Lireina was talking about?"

For the first time in many years, sweat trickled down his temples.

His grip around the warhammer tightened until his knuckles turned white.

During the war against the Demon King, Garruk had faced creatures capable of leveling mountains without once feeling fear. He had always stood at the frontlines, confident that no enemy alive could wound him.

But these machines were different.

News had spread throughout the continent about mysterious armors slaughtering the Silent Warlock, Cattleo, a mage whom even kingdoms feared. Reports also claimed that the Shadow Queen, Zerova, had mysteriously disappeared after encountering them. At first, Garruk dismissed those stories as exaggerated rumors.

Now that he stood before the Halochassis himself, he understood the truth.

The pressure radiating from the four machines was suffocating.

It felt as though death itself had taken physical form and quietly surrounded him.

Cold goosebumps crawled across his skin despite his Diamond Hardening Skill. Every instinct he possessed screamed that these opponents were unlike anything he had ever faced.

"...No matter," Garruk whispered to himself, forcing a smile that looked more strained than confident. "As long as I have Autonomous Guard Block... I'm invincible."

None of the Halochassis answered.

Instead, all four mechanical warriors unfolded their massive energy wings in perfect unison.

FWOOOOOSH!

Brilliant streams of blue-white light erupted behind them, illuminating the ruined battlefield. Feathers of pure energy drifted through the air before fading into glowing particles. The overwhelming display made even the wind seem to fall silent.

Azazel slowly raised his energy sword and pointed its blazing tip directly at Garruk.

"Listen carefully, Mount Kaiser," Azazel said, his mechanical voice carrying across the battlefield. "This will only end one way."

He took a step forward.

"You wi—"

"Phoenix Dive!"

A powerful voice suddenly thundered across the battlefield from somewhere beyond the ruined city.

Before anyone could react, an enormous phoenix made entirely of blazing crimson flames descended from the sky.

Its deafening cry echoed through the heavens as it crashed straight into Azazel.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The fiery bird drove the black Halochassis across the battlefield with unstoppable momentum. Flames exploded outward like a tidal wave, engulfing the surrounding ruins in searing heat. The intense temperature melted stone, scorched the earth black, and filled the air with the smell of burning debris.

Azazel instinctively crossed his energy wings in front of his body to shield himself from the inferno. The radiant feathers absorbed much of the attack, but the tremendous force continued pushing him backward.

The ground beneath his feet shattered into long trenches as he struggled to resist.

"FUUUUUCK!" Azazel shouted.

Unable to withstand the relentless momentum, he was launched through the remains of several ruined buildings before crashing into a distant pile of rubble. Broken stone exploded into the air as his armored body disappeared beneath a cloud of dust, leaving the battlefield eerily silent for a single, tense heartbeat.

Garruk's eyes widened in realization the moment he witnessed the blazing phoenix.

"I know that spell..."

A grin slowly spread across his rugged face.

"It's her."

Only one person among the Celestial Wardens could unleash an attack with such overwhelming speed and precision. The timing, the angle, and the incredible range were unmistakable.

"The Untouchable Windwalker..." His gaze swept across the ruined city, searching the countless shattered towers and half-collapsed buildings surrounding the battlefield. "Lireina!"

She had to be somewhere far away, hidden atop a rooftop or inside a broken watchtower. That was her preferred fighting style. She always positioned herself beyond her enemies' reach, patiently observing the battlefield before eliminating targets with flawless accuracy. Even Garruk, who had fought beside her for years, could rarely pinpoint her location once she decided to conceal herself.

"Ha!" Garruk burst into laughter, his confidence returning. "Lireina is here!" He rested the head of his gigantic warhammer on one shoulder before pointing at the four Halochassis. "Let's see how well you can fight two Celestial Wardens at once!"

The Halochassis remained silent.

Then, the wind suddenly changed.

A powerful gust swept across the battlefield, carrying dust, ash, and shattered leaves into the air. The temperature dropped noticeably as clouds churned overhead, forming a massive vortex above the ruined city.

Moments later, an enormous emerald magic circle bloomed across the darkened sky.

Its intricate runes stretched for hundreds of meters, spinning slowly as streams of green mana flowed through its countless symbols. The radiant formation illuminated the battlefield below, bathing the broken streets in an eerie green glow.

A familiar voice echoed from somewhere beyond the horizon.

"Arrow Shower!"

The spell activated instantly.

Thousands of emerald arrows condensed from the surrounding wind before descending from the heavens like a deadly storm.

SHHHHHHH!

The air screamed beneath their incredible speed.

The rain of arrows blanketed the battlefield without mercy, each projectile sharp enough to pierce enchanted steel. They struck rooftops, shattered walls, and embedded themselves deep into the streets with explosive force. Every impact sent bursts of compressed wind ripping through the surrounding ruins, reducing already damaged structures to piles of rubble.

The Halochassis immediately scattered.

Azazel crossed his radiant wings to shield himself from the relentless barrage as arrows exploded against his armor in dazzling flashes of green light.

Armaros swung its enormous blade in wide arcs, creating fiery shockwaves that vaporized dozens of incoming projectiles, yet countless more continued pouring from the sky.

Samael ignited its boosters and darted through the battlefield in blinding zigzags, weaving between the arrows with incredible precision as glowing trails followed behind the blue Halochassis.

Mastema planted her massive shield into the ground, the reinforced barrier ringing repeatedly as arrow after arrow crashed against it in a deafening metallic chorus.

The battlefield dissolved into pure chaos.

Dust clouds erupted from constant impacts, emerald streaks flashed across the sky, and the relentless shriek of wind drowned out nearly every other sound.

Garruk's eyes narrowed.

"This is my chance."

The Halochassis were completely occupied defending themselves from Lireina's bombardment.

He bent his knees, gripping his colossal warhammer with both hands.

Then he exploded forward.

BOOM!

The ground shattered beneath his feet as his enormous body charged like an unstoppable siege engine. Every thunderous step left deep craters in the broken streets, while fragments of stone flew in every direction. Despite his tremendous size, Garruk closed the distance with frightening speed, his massive frame barreling straight toward Mastema.

Risha noticed him only a heartbeat before he arrived.

"Gh—!"

Before Mastema could fully reposition her shield, Garruk had already raised his warhammer high above his head.

"You're wide open!"

His muscles swelled as every ounce of his monstrous strength flowed into a single devastating strike.

"Impact Rush!"

BOOOOOOOM!

The giant warhammer crashed squarely into Mastema's torso.

The impact produced an explosive shockwave that blasted dust and debris across the battlefield. The reinforced Halochassis let out a metallic groan as its armor absorbed the tremendous force, sparks bursting from dozens of joints. The collision echoed like a cannon blast, shaking nearby ruins and sending fractured walls collapsing into the streets.

Mastema was launched backward like a projectile.

Her armored heels carved deep trenches through the earth as she struggled to regain control. Stone shattered beneath her weight, leaving two long scars stretching across the battlefield. Rubble and dirt erupted high into the air while her boosters desperately fired to slow the momentum.

After being dragged for nearly a hundred meters, Mastema finally slammed her shield into the ground.

The massive blade carved another deep groove before the Halochassis came to a complete stop.

Inside the cockpit, warning alarms blared as Risha tightened her grip on the controls. Although Mastema's armor had endured the blow without being breached, the sheer force of Garruk's attack rattled the entire frame, reminding her that even without piercing the Halochassis, the Mount Kaiser possessed enough raw strength to overwhelm almost anything that stood in his way.