Chapter 5: The Land of MachinesEpisode 21: Confrontation with Zekhtau (4/4)

Part (1/5) "Storm of Steel: The Ultimate Hunt"

The words "Ultimate Mode" echoed across the battlefield, sinking deep into the hearts of the survivors. It was as if the very air had been stripped of all hope. They had barely survived the previous five phases—each one brutal enough to push them to the brink of death.

And yet… that was merely the beginning?

The realization sent a chill down their spines.

Before they could even react, Zekhtau stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate. His once-dull metallic armor began to crack and peel away, piece by piece, as if he were shedding his skin. Every fragment that clattered onto the ground sent a shiver through the team.

What… is he doing?

As the last piece of his former shell fell, Zekhtau's new form was revealed—his entire body now gleamed with a silver-white brilliance, adorned with intricate patterns that resembled celestial engravings.

It was nothing like the monstrous machine they had fought up until now.

It was something divine. Something untouchable.

He looked less like a war machine and more like a creature out of legend—like a being sculpted by gods, akin to a pegasus or a unicorn. A radiant purity surrounded him, but within that purity lurked something terrifying—something absolute.

"Then—he seized his halberd and drove it into the ground."

A pulse of energy rippled outward. The weapon began to shift—its form stretching and morphing until it no longer resembled a halberd at all. The shaft extended, and the blade transformed, becoming something akin to a colossal greatsword without an edge. Ethereal blue light pulsed along its surface, flowing like liquid energy.

Zekhtau raised his head, his glowing eyes sweeping over them. His voice rang out—calm, yet absolute.

"For the next ten minutes, if you can withstand my assault—if you can evade or endure without being eliminated—you win."

"But if I take you all down before time runs out… then I win."

The declaration carried the weight of judgment itself.

A countdown appeared in the sky.

10 seconds.

The team scattered.

There was no time to hesitate. No time to doubt.

Everyone fell into formation, their eyes locked onto Zekhtau. He slid the weapon to his side, the hilt resting at his waist with the blade pointing skyward. His hand gripped the handle lightly, poised as if ready to draw and slash in a single, fluid motion. It was a stance—a charge, gathering immense energy.

A thin beam of light shot from the blade's tip, starting as a quick pulse that streaked across the battlefield and extended into the sky.

At first, it appeared as isolated bursts—but then the gaps began to close, each flash connecting to the next. Slowly, the scattered beams merged, forming a continuous, unbroken line of light that carved through the heavens.

Then came the sound—

A high-pitched, ear-splitting whine that sent vibrations through the ground.

It was like an engine roaring to life, an impending detonation waiting to be unleashed.

"Osiris! Calculate the trajectory—NOW!" Akira commanded.

In mere moments, Osiris processed the data, marking every lethal zone with glowing red paths on their MR displays.

"Move! NOW!" Akira shouted.

Everyone leaped away, dodging the lethal zones as best as they could. But before some of them could fully escape—

The beams connected.

Zekhtau's eyes snapped open.

A slow, razor-sharp grin spread across his face.

Then—he whispered the words that sealed their fate.

"Let the hunt… begin."

BOOM!

Part (2/5) "Storm of Steel: Blades of Annihilation"

The colossal laser blade cleaved through the battlefield, splitting the very air apart. The impact shattered the ground, leaving a deep scar that stretched across the entire arena. The stadium seating crumbled, massive chunks of debris sent flying in every direction. Even the sky itself bore the mark of the devastating strike—a gaping rift torn through the storm clouds above.

The team stood frozen, watching in horror as the remnants of the battlefield continued to collapse. The sheer power behind that attack wasn't just overwhelming—it was beyond comprehension.

But Zekhtau wasn't done.

With inhuman speed, he moved. His form blurred, his silver body flashing in and out of vision. And then—

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

The laser blade descended again and again, carving through the battlefield like a divine judgment. Each swing sent shockwaves of raw destruction across the arena. Buildings crumbled. The very air screamed.

The ground beneath them was no longer a safe place to stand.

The sky itself was torn asunder, sliced apart by trails of glowing light.

Everywhere—devastation.

There was nowhere left to run.

"This is insane…" The words were never spoken aloud, but they echoed in every teammate's mind.

Akira, gasping for breath, forced himself to focus. His eyes flicked toward Zekhtau's status gauge—and then he saw it.

The numbers were dropping.

Not just his energy levels—his very life force was diminishing.

"…That's it," Akira whispered, realization striking him like lightning. Then, without hesitation—

"Everyone! Keep running! Drag this out as long as possible! SURVIVE!"

His voice pierced through the explosions and the roaring destruction.

There were no questions. No hesitation.

They ran.

They ran for their lives.

Footsteps pounded against the ruined metal flooring, desperate and relentless. Laser slashes rained from above, hunting them, cornering them, threatening to erase them from existence.

But still, they pushed forward.

One goal. One shared resolve.

"We will survive this together!"

The battle raged on. Time dragged on endlessly, each passing second feeling like eternity.

And yet—the countdown continued.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Would they last? Would they endure?

There was only one way to find out.

Part (3/5) "Storm of Steel: Falling Stars"

The battlefield had become a warzone of chaos.

Everyone was running—desperately trying to stay alive. Yue, pouring everything she had into buffing the team's speed, struggled to tip the scales in their favor. But the situation had spiraled too far out of control. Even Elina, the strongest defensive fighter, was forced to evade—her barriers simply weren't strong enough to withstand the sheer destruction of Zekhtau's laser blade.

The ground shook violently as another devastating strike crashed down. Lunar, usually the most agile among them, was barely keeping up.

For Mirelle, whose speed had always been her greatest weakness, there was no escape.

And then—it happened.

Mirelle, lagging behind, became the next target.

The burning blue blade of annihilation chased her relentlessly. Elina, seeing this, threw herself into the line of fire, erecting layers of protective barriers in rapid succession.

The impact struck.

BOOM!

The shields held—for a moment.

But the sheer force of Zekhtau's attack sent Elina flying across the battlefield, her body crashing down with a resounding thud.

She didn't get up.

The team's strongest defense—was gone.

And now, Mirelle was left completely exposed.

She turned, trying to escape—but her foot caught on a jagged piece of debris.

She was trapped.

The laser was coming.

With no other option, she gathered every ounce of mana in her body, casting the largest ice barrier she had ever created.

CRACK!

The moment the laser made contact, the ice exploded into a dazzling shower of shards.

The attack had been weakened.

But it wasn't enough.

The remaining force overwhelmed Mirelle.

She collapsed beside Elina—motionless.

Another one down.

The realization crashed down on the remaining members.

Their most versatile and powerful mage was gone.

Fear sank its claws into their hearts. Could they really survive this? Was there any way to stop Zekhtau's merciless blade?

And then—his next target was chosen.

Draco.

The only one still in the sky.

He had been dodging non-stop, doing everything he could to buy time. But Zekhtau's gaze locked onto him.

There was nowhere left to run.

Draco roared, unleashing a barrage of flames toward his enemy.

The fire never reached.

SLASH!

Zekhtau's blade cleaved the air, tearing straight through Draco's defenses.

A flash of light.

And then—Draco plummeted.

His body hit the ground hard, skidding across the ruined battlefield.

He tried to stand.

But his body—wouldn't move.

Darkness closed in, swallowing his consciousness.

Another one down.

And now…

The next target was Yue.

The little fox girl, who had done nothing but support her teammates throughout the entire battle, now stood alone in Zekhtau's sights.

Her breath hitched.

She jumped to escape—but the place she was about to land…

Was where Mirelle and Elina lay unconscious.

A single moment of hesitation.

And that—was all it took.

The laser closed in.

She had no time to run.

So instead, she fought.

She gathered the last remnants of her magic, casting a barrier around herself while unleashing a desperate counterattack—a burst of divine energy to intercept Zekhtau's attack.

The two beams of light collided.

For a brief second, they clashed, locked in a battle of power.

But Yue's attack wasn't strong enough.

Her energy was swallowed.

The light consumed her.

And then—she fell.

Landing beside Mirelle and Elina, her small frame lay motionless.

Akira watched.

His heart was heavy.

One by one—

The people who had fought beside him, the ones who had always been at his side—

They were falling.

He remembered Zekhtau's words.

"If I get serious—none of you will survive."

Now, those words felt like an undeniable truth.

And yet—

Akira refused to break.

Even with only three of them left—

Even with Osiris, Lunar, and himself standing against an impossible enemy—

Even when hope was all but gone—

His eyes still burned with defiance.

"As long as I'm still breathing—"

His hands clenched into fists.

"We will survive."

His voice rang through the battlefield.

This wasn't over.

Not yet.

And even if they had to claw their way through hell itself—

They would not fall.

Part (4/5) "Storm of Steel : The Rebel's Gambit"

The battlefield trembled as the massive laser blade struck the ground, sending seismic shockwaves through the entire arena. The once-darkened sky now bore jagged scars from the relentless energy slashes, cutting through the very fabric of the storm above.

Now, only three remained—Osiris, Lunar Cipher, and Akira Wattanakul. They dodged and evaded with everything they had, but Zekhtau Silverstride's relentless assault made it feel as if the very air itself was their enemy.

Then—

BOOM!

Another explosion rocked the field. A radiant beam shot toward Lunar, and despite his desperate attempt to evade, he was struck directly.

Or so it seemed.

Instead of collapsing like the others, his armor shattered like brittle glass, revealing the figure beneath. A long, flowing black cloak draped over his frame, and his now-unveiled face twisted into a scowl of frustration.

His voice was icy, filled with an irritation that he no longer bothered to hide.

"Zekhtau… this wasn't part of our deal."

Akira's eyes widened, his mind racing to process what he had just heard.

Lunar… was a traitor?

Had he been a spy this entire time, fighting alongside them only to betray them at the very last moment?

Zekhtau, standing a few meters away, merely shrugged. His voice was indifferent yet mocking.

"Apologies… I changed my mind. I'd rather have Akira instead."

Those words sent shockwaves through the remaining fighters. The implications were unclear, but one thing was certain—a hidden deal had been made.

Lunar let out a slow, heavy sigh. His entire demeanor shifted.

The calm strategist was gone.

In his place stood a man exuding something far more dangerous.

His voice was lower now, carrying a cold, lethal edge.

"Then you're going to regret breaking our contract."

Zekhtau chuckled, eyes gleaming with amusement. His tone turned almost playful, but still laced with condescension.

"And what will you do about it, Lunar Cipher? No—should I say… Cain Moonshard, of the Rebels?"

Silence.

Osiris' sharp intake of breath was the only sound that followed.

Her widened eyes betrayed her shock as the name hung in the air like a death knell.

"Cain Moonshard…!"

Akira stiffened. The name felt familiar, as if he had heard it from Elina or Mirelle before. But he had never imagined Lunar himself would be the man behind it.

The black-cloaked figure, now fully revealed as Cain, let his hands fall to his sides, stepping forward with unshaken confidence. His eyes, now devoid of their usual playfulness, were sharp and predatory—the gaze of a hunter who had just been unchained.

"Information like that is worth a fortune, you know?"

His tone was dangerously smooth, like a blade sliding out of its sheath.

"You just throw it out into the open like this? Some guardian you are."

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

If before, the suffocating pressure came from Zekhtau's raw power, now an entirely different weight pressed down on the battlefield.

One that came from Cain Moonshard himself.

Zekhtau's smile never wavered. If anything, he seemed thrilled. He adjusted his grip on his massive blade, his posture tightening just slightly—the sign of a warrior acknowledging a worthy opponent.

"Then show me, Cain," he murmured, voice low but charged with anticipation.

"Show me what the Rebels are capable of."

This battle was no longer just Akira's team versus Zekhtau.

A new conflict had just erupted.

A war between two dangerous forces—and no one knew how it would end.

Part (5/5) "Storm of Steel : The Final Gambit"

The battlefield shook under the relentless strikes of Zekhtau Silverstride's laser blade. The once-solid ground was reduced to scorched craters, and the storm-torn sky bore fresh, jagged scars from the sheer force of his attacks.

Only three remained—Osiris, Lunar Cipher, and Akira Wattanakul. Each breath they took felt heavy under the suffocating presence of Zekhtau's overwhelming power.

Then, in the midst of the chaos, Cain Moonshard stepped forward.

He flicked his wrist, and a holographic keyboard materialized before him. His fingers moved across the keys at an impossible speed, like a virtuoso playing a grand symphony. The fluidity of his keystrokes was mesmerizing, an intricate dance of precision and calculation.

And then—

"AHH!!"

Osiris' scream pierced the battlefield.

Her body, previously cloaked in invisibility, suddenly became fully visible—rigid, frozen, her normally sharp eyes flickering with erratic light.

Cain cast her a brief glance, his expression unreadable. Yet, beneath the mask of control, a flicker of regret passed through his eyes.

"Apologies. I had to hack your system first… But next time, I promise I'll ask for permission."

Akira's stomach dropped.

This was his worst fear—Osiris being hacked, falling into the hands of someone he couldn't control.

"STOP!" Akira lunged forward, intent on shutting Cain down before it was too late.

But Cain turned his gaze toward him, voice calm but firm.

"Stand down, Akira. I'm helping you."

Before Akira could reach him, Cain entered the final command. Osiris' holographic display flared brightly, and then—

Cain smirked.

"Now… witness a technique I've crafted exclusively for Osiris. A technique never before used in battle."

And in the next instant—

He vanished.

A fraction of a second later—BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted where Zekhtau stood.

The sheer speed of the sequence left everyone momentarily stunned.

"TELEPORTATION?!" Akira gasped.

Cain reappeared—but not in the same spot. He blinked across the battlefield, his movements transcending space and time like they were mere playthings in his grasp. Each time he materialized, an explosion followed, trapping Zekhtau in a relentless storm of calculated destruction.

Zekhtau, once untouchable, now staggered like a puppet on broken strings.

Meanwhile, Osiris—still under Cain's command—functioned as a hyper-advanced processor, predicting Zekhtau's movements with eerie precision. Cain utilized her calculations to place detonation traps at every step before Zekhtau even took them.

"It's as if he can see the future…" Akira muttered, eyes wide in disbelief.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The perfect synchronization of explosions left Zekhtau no room to breathe. His balance shattered, and the mighty centaur's once-proud form faltered.

Then, in one brutal twist of fate—

Zekhtau's own massive laser blade—dislodged by the relentless assault—slashed through his own body.

One of his arms was severed.

Then, in a cruel, ironic finish—his lower half was cleaved apart by his own weapon.

KRAKOOOOOM!

A final detonation erupted, sending shockwaves throughout the entire arena.

Silence.

As the dust settled, Cain stood alone at the battlefield's center—his back turned to them all, in a pose almost too perfect to be unintentional.

But then—

He staggered.

Blood dripped from his lips, his nose, his ears—and even his eyes. His body shuddered violently, and before anyone could react—he collapsed.

"CAIN!!"

Akira rushed forward, but Cain weakly raised a trembling hand, pointing towards Zekhtau's crippled, barely standing form.

His voice, barely above a whisper, carried one last command—

"…Go… end this… now…"

Blood stained his breath, but his eyes still burned with resolve.

Akira clenched his fists.

He turned toward Zekhtau.

The once-imposing titan now stood with one arm, two legs, and a barely functioning core. His balance was shattered, his form trembling.

"This ends here."

Akira's grip on his twin blades tightened—his focus sharpening.

"Starblade Cascade… empowered by Water's Edge!!"

With blinding speed, he circled Zekhtau, moving in a pattern that—from a bird's-eye view—formed a five-pointed star.

Each pass, SHNK! SHNK!—his blades struck true. The enhanced water element from Mirelle's earlier buffs made every slice razor-sharp, dealing devastating damage with every step.

Zekhtau tried to counter—but he was too slow.

The moment he lifted his remaining arm, CLANG! Akira's white sword intercepted it—while his black sword slashed in close.

SHNK! SHNK! SHNK! SHNK! SHNK! SHNK!

Blades flashed like lightning, striking from every angle.

SHNK-SHNK-SHNK-SHNK-SHNK!

The relentless assault formed a whirling star-shaped vortex, each slash cutting deeper, faster—until it felt like Zekhtau was trapped in a cyclone of steel.

A flurry of strikes, countless and merciless, blurred into one continuous motion.

Then—

FWOOOSH—SLASH!

The final strike connected.

Zekhtau's body fractured—split apart at last.

His core shattered, and the giant finally fell.

His last remnants dissolved into fragments of light.

And then—

A holographic message appeared in the sky.

[You Win]

Akira stood amidst the ruins, his white blade raised high, his breath ragged.

And then, with everything in him, he let out a victorious roar—

"OOOHHHHHHH!!"

The battle—their longest, hardest fight yet—had finally reached its end.