『 Date: July 7th, 2071
Location: Texas Military Base, Texas
Time: 17:46 CDT 』
There stood before the Incarcecon forces, Slaine Verdonis, the notorious Iron Devil - a man who unlocked the full potential of the Dractors and had an unparalleled thirst for bloodshed. Chaos and destruction were his daily bread and the countless lives lost on his account failed to faze him. In each battle, he had emerged as a true champion of malevolence, and his fierce drive for battle left a trail of unfathomable misery.
Seated in the cockpit of his Emperor-class Assault-type Dractor - Thanatos - the name itself laden with meaning as Thanatos was the Death God.
The embodiment of death on the battlefield and a true manslayer.
However, Slaine simply saw himself as one thing.
The captain of Squad 99.
A striking young man with piercing blood-red eyes and a mane of silky black hair. The white scarf adorning his neck contrasted beautifully with his sleek black camo uniform.
The mysterious-looking pilot wore a small device called SYSTEM (Spatial Analysis, Tactics, and Efficiency Module) on the back of his neck.
He lounged in the cockpit of his towering, 18-meter tall Dractor - Thanatos, surveying the holographic screens, dials, switches, and buttons before him.
Slaine let out a calm breath and muttered to himself, "This isn't a rescue mission, but it feels like one."
He scoffed at the incompetence of the soldiers he was coming to aid.
With a tap on his micro-communicator, the screens hummed to life.
One by one, his team members - Elena, Raizel, Katherine, Mankapon, Dexter, Velice, and Geese - appeared on separate screens, ready for action.
Elena barked through the comms.
[ White Wolf (Elena): Sla— Captain, you left without us! ]
Slaine offered no response.
Raizel grinned mischievously and teased.
[ Razenoid (Raizel): It's better this way. When a captain takes action first, it makes things fun ]
Dexter adjusted his spectacles and sighed.
[ Melforce (Dexter): Let's get this over with ]
Mankapon sat in stoic silence.
[ Razenoid (Raizel): Mankapon?! Mankapon?! ]
Mankapon remained unresponsive.
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Looks like he's sleeping again ]
Dexter rolled his eyes in frustration.
[ Melforce (Dexter): Typical ]
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
[ Linehart (Geese): I blame those chili dogs we had yesterday (~laughs) ]
[ Storm Knight (Velice): Be quiet! ]
Geese immediately complied.
Raizel and Elena laughed, enjoying this little spectacle.
Katherine on the other hand remained silent, she was still new to the squad so she hadn't yet fit in.
[ Linehart (Geese): Yes, honey ]
[ Storm Knight (Velice): Good... now, wake up Mankapon! ]
Having shouted out Mankapon's name, it startled the slumped figure, causing him to hit his head on one of the corners in his cockpit. He quickly recovered.
[ Rapacer (Mankapon): I-I-I'm ready! ]
[ Razenoid (Raizel): We're waiting on your orders, captain ]
Slaine nodded confidently.
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Very well, let's show them what we're made of ]
As his fellow pilots began the task of manually activating their Dractors and setting them in motion, Slaine took a different approach. Utilizing his state-of-the-art SYSTEM technology.
Thanatos stood motionless, while the others quickly moved out at an incredibly high-speed utilizing thrusters to travel across the battlefield.
SYSTEM was a modern technological marvel that allowed Slaine to go above and beyond the manual procedures typically required to activate the Dractor's various systems. The Spatial Analysis function allowed him to map out the terrain, surveying the layout of the battlefield and identifying any potential obstacles or hazards that could impede his progress. Meanwhile, the Tactics mode allowed him to strategize and plan out his approach, taking into account the actions of the enemy and coordinating with his team to maximize their effectiveness in battle. Lastly, the Efficiency Module function optimized his system performance to ensure that all systems were operating at peak performance, minimizing the risk of malfunctions or delays in the heat of battle.
[Dractor name] Thanatos [Type] Assault [Class] Emperor [Weapons] Missile launchers, plasma rifles, supersonic blades, grapplers, photon pistol and laser cannons [Armatus] N/A
[Pilot] Slaine [Gender] Male [Age] 18 [Race] Terran [Subspecies] Esper [Nationality] American
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Activate, SYSTEM ]
[ Oracle Engine: Neural-link has been established, system lock disengaged... welcome, Slaine Verdonis. How may I assist you today? ]
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Begin power core charge, engage all systems of Thanatos model VI ]
[ Oracle Engine: Beginning Enertron Power Core charge... Hydralink Servo System - active, Quantum Mobility System - active, Aegis Energy Shielding - active, Phantom Evasive Maneuvering Systems - active, Vitalis Life Support Systems - active, Nexus Sensor Array - active, Judicator Weapons Systems - active, Genesis Repair Systems - active, Harbinger Communication Array - active... Linking with Sentinel Tactical AI ]
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Excellent ]
Colonel Taylor watched with pride as the battle turned in their favor thanks to the incredible skill and precision of Squad 99's Dractor pilots.
The sight of Razenoid, a sleek and deadly black and silver mech, tearing through enemy lines with its plasma cutting blades was a thing of beauty. The blades rotated so rapidly that they appeared almost electrified, and when Raizel increased the energy output of his thrusters, Razenoid moved like a blue lightning bolt, tearing through five Velznars before they even had time to react.
[ Razenoid (Raizel): Good news cap, if we keep this up, we'll end things sooner than expected ]
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Alright... ]
[ Melforce (Dexter): Still, let's not get complacent ]
[ White Wolf (Elena): With Slaine as our captain? Not a chance! ]
Elena piloted her white and silver mech, White Wolf, with incredible speed and agility.
In its right hand was a supersonic blade that sliced through metal like butter, and in the left was a photon pistol that fired energized orbs capable of obliterating anything in its path.
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Elena, two Velznars approaching your twelve o'clock at top speed, eight meters away ]
Slaineʼs spatial awareness made him the perfect person for calculating where likely attacks would come from.
[ White Wolf (Elena): Got it, Slai— I mean captain ]
Two Velznars charged straight for White Wolf, but Elena was prepared, firing a barrage of photon orbs that tore holes through one of the mechs and reduced the pilot to ground flesh. The second Velznar didn't fare any better as Elena engaged her thrusters, speeding past it and slicing it in half with a clean stroke of her supersonic blade.
As the battle raged on, Colonel Taylor used his comms to link into Squad 99's communication server.
[ Colonel Taylor: Great job, everyone! ]
[ Razenoid (Raizel): Thanks, Colonel, but we can't say the same about the other soldiers on the field. They're all moving so slow, it's like they're struggling to keep up ]
[ Linehart (Geese): Well that's because they are... bahahaha! ]
[ Storm Knight (Velice): We might as well wrap it up huh? ]
[ Colonel Taylor: Well, isn't that already what you're doing? ]
[ Rapacer (Mankapon): Not even close ]
---
The battlefield was a scene of utter devastation, with explosions rocking the land and filling the air with smoke and fire.
Above, high-speed jets battled fiercely, exchanging deadly firepower as they soared through the skies.
On the ground, the mechs - the massive, hulking Velznars and Dractors - clashed in a brutal dance of destruction, shredding each other apart in a shower of gore and body parts.
[ Razenoid (Raizel): Cap, you ready? ]
Slaine, a steely look on his face, gave a tight nod.
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Raizel, take charge of the remaining squad members ]
[ Razenoid (Raizel): You got it! ]
Slaineʼs squad members acknowledged this.
Trusting Raizel completely, Slaine knew that his second-in-command had the experience and leadership skills necessary to handle the rest of the team.
Slaine then contacted Colonel Taylor, the voice crackling through the comms.
[ Thanatos (Slaine): Withdraw the army's mechs. They should all team up with my squad to form a base of fire, using heavy weapons to suppress the enemy's defenses while a smaller group launches a surprise attack on their flank ]
Colonel Taylor saw the wisdom in the plan, but he also saw the problem.
[Colonel Taylor: Which group will be sent in to launch a flank attack? ]
The members of Slaine's squad laughed in their respective Dractors, their voice echoing through the comms, but Slaine remained serious.
He stretched his arms, his bones giving off a popping sound.
In his cockpit, he leaned forward and grabbed the controllers tightly.
[ Thanatos (Slaine): I'll handle the flank attack ]
His voice was steady and serious.
[ Colonel Taylor: That's madness! A one man secondary attack unit is crazy! ]
Elena sighed.
[ White Wolf (Elena): Just trust Slai— I mean, the captain. He can handle this ]
[ Colonel Taylor: Really?! ]
[ Rapacer (Mankapon): He's not called the Iron Devil for nothing ]
[ Colonel Taylor: A-alright then ]
The base of fire was established, heavy weapons thundering as they laid down suppressing fire on the enemy positions. And while the main force launched a frontal assault, Thanatos slipped around to the side, moving unseen and unheard until he spotted an opening in the enemy's defenses.
"Excellent. Here we go," Slaineʼs eyes turned a radiant blue colour.