Heavy Metal

"That's as far as you go, brat. All of this ends now!"

A man shouted as he pointed a large saber at a young elven man. The elf was on the ground, rubbing his head as he tried to stand. In front of him, a piece of bronze armor fizzled out of existence, dissolving into drifting mana particles. Moments earlier, it had slammed into him and knocked him flat after being kicked away by one of the men here.

More constructs like it surrounded the youth, while beyond them stood a group of humans clad in armor and carrying heavy weapons. They closed in slowly, leaving him nowhere to run.

"No. It can't end right now. I won't let it!"

The elven youth placed his hands on the ground and focused. Multiple magical circles blazed into life beneath him, and bronze and iron constructs rose from their glowing patterns. The humans did not move as they had already seen this skill before.

"It doesn't matter how many weak monsters you summon, boy. That is why your people will never be anything more than slaves to us humans. You are too stupid to know when to give up."

The man with the saber spat on the ground as another bronze construct moved forward. One of the humans stepped in and crushed its head with a hammer. The animated armor burst into mana particles that scattered like fireflies in the dim forest light. Teral's breathing grew ragged. His mana was running dry, but he refused to give up.

"I said… I won't let it end. I'll never surrender to the likes of you!"

More circles appeared beneath him, and another wave of living armor emerged. This time, an iron construct rose, taller and heavier than the rest. The humans did not retreat. They laughed as they waited for the summoner to exhaust himself. The iron armor barely managed a few strikes before it, too, was smashed apart by heavy maces and hammers.

"Just as they said. This rat can only animate armor, and by the look of it, this will be the last batch."

The leader smirked at Teral. The youth's hands trembled, and sweat dripped from his chin onto the glowing summoning circles below. He knew he was close to collapsing, but the rage burning in his heart would not let him stop. He thought of his village, of the slaughter the humans had committed there, and a strange sensation washed over him.

'It's…'

It felt familiar, a connection and presence he had sensed before. A cold, metallic existence pressed against his soul. This was not like the other summons. It was far more powerful, and once the circle began to shine, he could tell the being forming within it was different.

"Oh? So you have been hiding one of your monsters? It does not matter. Even one made of steel will not save you."

The leader glanced at another man, who nodded and charged at the newly formed living armor. This one was different. It carried a shield and wielded a long halberd in one hand. The mace came down fast, but when it struck the monster's shield, the armor did not move. Instead, the man was hurled backward into a tree. His body made a sickening cracking sound, and the trunk splintered on impact. Leaves rained down as the human slumped to the ground, unmoving.

Silence fell over the clearing. The laughter faded. The new living armor did not advance at once. It simply stood there with its shield raised and halberd angled downward, its polished surface reflecting the torchlight. Unlike the crude bronze and iron constructs around it, this one radiated power.

"So you summoned me to deal with these people? I hope there are more of them. I need many more experience talismans."

Teral froze when he heard the armor speak to him. It was the same voice he had heard before, the one that belonged to the spirit that had avenged his loved ones. Though the body it occupied was different, it did not seem any weaker. A moment later, it tossed aside its shield and gripped the halberd with both hands.

"Just sit back and let me handle this."

"Spirit, you've returned!"

Teral shouted, even though the humans could not hear the spirit speaking to him.

"Spirit? I am not a spirit. Just call me Rusty. We can talk after this is over, so hide somewhere for now."

"Rusty?"

Teral was even more surprised by the way the spirit spoke. Before, it had seemed solemn and righteous. This time it sounded relaxed, almost lighthearted.

'Could this spirit be different?'

He barely finished the thought before his new helper responded.

'There is only one of me. You probably still do not know how to withhold your thoughts from me, but do not worry. I will teach you how later.'

*****

Rusty charged forward, his halberd sizzling with electrical energy as he swung it in a wide arc. The humans he faced did not seem that strong to him, and with a single swing, three of them fell instantly.

"Defend yourselves, this one is different!"

They had assumed he was a steel-grade living armor because of his similar appearance. That mistake had already cost three of them their lives, and he had no intention of stopping. Anyone who would gang up on a child like this deserved no mercy.

'These guys are around E and D rank. Nothing I cannot handle right now, so why not test my new skill in real combat?'

After training Dash Step inside his lair, he wanted to use it in an actual battle. There were around twenty people here, perfect for testing his new ability. A faint pulse of mana rippled through Rusty's frame as he activated the skill.

The world around him began to blur. A large man with a warhammer stood right in front of him, swinging down. Before the blow could connect, Rusty vanished.

"Huh? Where did he…"

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Less than a second later, Rusty appeared at the man's left flank. The halberd's blade thrust forward, striking his stomach and piercing through his low-quality armor. The man collapsed before he understood what had happened, and the others froze in place.

"What happened? It was right there, then it just vanished for a moment?"

One of the men shouted, but before he could say more, Rusty was already moving again.

"Watch out, behind you!"

It was too late. With another Dash Step, Rusty's body flickered and reappeared behind them. His weapon flowed through slashes, thrusts, and sweeping arcs that blurred into silver afterimages in the air.

The halberd carved through leather and mail alike. A backhanded strike split a helm. A reverse thrust punched through a breastplate. Rusty moved like a phantom, each Dash Step leaving behind a fading blur as he grew more accustomed to the momentum.

Teral watched with wide eyes as the men continued to fall one after another. This was nothing like the bronze and iron constructs he could summon. Even though they shared similar forms, it was obvious that the power within Rusty far surpassed them.

"It's… It's too strong!"

Half of the men had already been defeated when one of them screamed in panic and turned to run.

"Where do you think you're going? Get back here!"

Their leader shouted in anger, but he could no longer control his subordinates. Soon, they were fleeing in every direction. Rusty advanced, focusing on the only one who remained, the man who had led them.

"Oh? You're stronger than them, but…"

His halberd was finally stopped, not because his opponent was powerful, but because Rusty's mana was running low. Teral, his new summoner, had nothing left to give either. Rusty would have to finish this without using any of his skills. Even so, although the man was around D rank, he was clearly inferior in every way.

"N-no! How could this be…"

Before he could finish, the halberd's blade tore through his throat. He collapsed at once, clutching his neck. His eyes bulged in desperation, but there was no saving him. Within a few breaths, he was dead.

"That was a nice warm-up, but is this really all, or are some of them hiding?"

Rusty spun his weapon and drove it into the ground, striking a victorious pose. His summoner still looked stunned by everything that had just happened, and Rusty could hardly blame him. The last time they had met, there had been no time to talk. Teral had nearly died, and his entire family had not survived.

"…"

"Hello? Are you alright?"

Teral remained silent, staring at Rusty's body as it reflected the light of the great blue moon overhead.

"I…"

"You?"

Each of his summoners had been somewhat different. Gwen had been shy at first, but she gradually opened up to him. The necromancer was volatile, and even after being smacked around repeatedly, he never stopped insulting him for long. This wood elf, on the other hand, seemed to see him as some secret spirit of metal that had come to his aid, and his next words only confirmed it.

"Great spirit of metal, I am forever thankful for your assistance!"

Teral dropped to his knees and bowed before Rusty as if he were some higher being. It was not something Rusty had expected, nor was it how this summoning worked. Without the summoner, he had very limited mana and could not move freely. He was not here out of charity either, as he gained rewards for completing missions for these people, and this elf deserved to know at least part of the truth.

"What are you doing? Get up. I'm not a great spirit of metal. I'm just Rusty, so call me that."

"Rusty? I dare not call a great spirit something so unbecoming…"

"Unbecoming? Is there something wrong with my name?"

Rusty placed a hand on his helmet and looked down at the boy prostrating himself before him. His tone clearly carried a hint of sadness at hearing his name described as unbecoming.

"I… no. It's a great name. A good name!"

Teral caught on quickly and changed his tune.

"It is, isn't it? Now start calling me Rusty. I'm not a great spirit of metal, but a summon you called forth."

"That I called forth?"

Teral repeated the words aloud rather than speaking through his thoughts. Before they could continue, Rusty heard voices from the side, ones that did not belong to the armed humans but to an entirely different group.

"H-help! He won't be able to hold on much longer. Is anyone there? We need help!"

"Hm?"

At the sound, his new summoner stopped speaking and turned at once. Finally, the reason he had been summoned and why the fight had broken out became clear. Not far from the battlefield stood a makeshift encampment. Inside were several people trapped in cages loaded onto wheeled wagons.

'Slaves, and all of them elves. Now it all makes sense.'

Rusty always wondered why the humans had attacked that village. It felt similar to what had happened with the barbarians in his own settlement. The difference was that here, instead of enslaving barbarians, the victims were elves.

The cages were crude but sturdy, steel bars reinforced with wooden beams and bound with leather straps. Around them lay the remnants of the skirmish, dropped weapons, broken shields, and the bodies of the fallen. It looked as if the fighting had begun here before Teral drew the guards away, perhaps to keep those locked inside from being harmed in the battle.

From within the wagons, pale faces stared out in disbelief. They wore filthy clothes, and their skin was streaked with dirt. It was clear they had not been able to wash themselves for weeks.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help!"

Teral shouted as he hurried toward one of the cages. Inside, a young woman cradled an old man who was little more than skin and bones. Fresh bruises marked his frail body, as though he had been beaten not long ago. He was clearly malnourished, and it seemed he might not survive much longer, something his new summoner was desperately trying to prevent.

"It's locked. The keys have to be here somewhere."

Rusty watched Teral tug at the barred door. He looked unwell. His mana had been drained during the fight, and he seemed close to collapsing. Even so, he refused to give up and searched frantically for a key ring.

"No. The slavers must have run off with the keys."

He muttered the words, and before he could attempt something reckless, Rusty stepped forward.

"Leave this to me. This is just ordinary steel."

Rusty approached the nearest wagon, each step sinking slightly into the damp forest soil. The elves inside shrank back at first, their eyes wide as they took in the towering steel figure approaching their cage.

"O-one of those metal constructs. Is it here to help?"

To his surprise, not all of them were afraid. Some even leaned closer. They had likely seen Teral command constructs similar to him and realized he was one of them.

Rusty examined the lock. It was crude, strong enough to restrain weakened captives, but nothing compared to the enchanted steel of his own body. He did not even need to use his weapon for leverage. His brute strength would suffice.

He grasped the bars with his metal hands and pulled. The cage groaned as the metal strained against his grip. The leather bindings snapped first, cracking sharply as they split apart. Then the steel bars bent inward, warping under the sheer force of his strength. With one final pull, the lock tore free and clattered to the ground. The door swung open.

The elves inside stared in stunned silence, and Rusty took a step back to give them space. He understood fear and hesitation well enough in humanoids. These people had been through a great deal, and the only person they were likely to trust was someone who had suffered something similar.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Teral? Help them."

As he stepped away, he placed a recovery potion in the young man's hand. It was something he kept in his storage space for moments like this.

"Ah… thank you, Great Spirit."

"You're still calling me that? Fine. Help them first, and we'll work on that later."

The elven boy nodded and hurried into the carriage to give the old elf the recovery potion. Rusty, meanwhile, began looking around. Every one of these people was an elf, and it seemed his new task would be to help Teral set them free.