Lupus Hoffmann I

"Stay here!" The Olympian mage raised her hand, halting the group. They stopped, looking at her, then exchanged confused glances. She pressed a finger to her lips and motioned for them to lie low.

"Miss Hoffmann!" An injured man spoke up quietly, his face filled with concern. She turned to look at him, tilting her head slightly.

"Please, be safe!" He deliberately worded his mouth so that she could read his lips.

Lupus didn't answer, but she gave him a reassuring smile. Then, her golden arc boots glowed with a mystical light, resembling the armour of medieval knights from the Middle Ages during the 15th century. With a powerful leap, she launched herself into the air, soaring 50 metres before landing silently on a rooftop. Thanks to her arcane equipment, not even the slightest shuffle of sound could be heard, despite the force of her momentum.

Her silver hair, styled in a hime cut, fluttered gracefully in the wind. Her big golden eyes, expressive and bright like the summer sun, sparkled with an otherworldly light. Her plump lips were pink against her otherwise immaculate ashen skin, with small, sharp fangs peeking out, adding to her allure. Her prominent nose, slightly flaring, was the sort most people would dream of. Her white bunny ears on top of her head flickered, straining to amplify her senses. For her unusual garments, she wore a black corset with matching arm and leg garters, complemented by her gleaming golden arc boots.

As Lupus crouched, her keen eyes scanned the area. Two massive mobile suits were huddled together below. Both were painted dark green, and armed with standard weaponry: ionised blades and built-in plasma cannons on their hands. However, there were no missile launchers on their backs like those of the silver or gold-ranked models. Judging from their conversation back and forth, she surmised these were bronze-rank Armatus knights, operated independently, not controlled by a single pilot.

"Fufufu!" Lubus chuckled childishly, "They're no match for the Olympian me!" She thought, amused.

From her vantage point, she spotted a woman and child, their tunics and linen pants typical of the Arcanii citizens of Germund. They were clearly prisoners, captured by the two Armatus knights.

"Keep walking!" One of the steel giants barked, startling the terrified child, who clutched his mother's arm tightly. In response, she gently squeezed his hand in silent reassurance.

"Where's the refugee camp?" Another giant demanded, his voice final and absolute.

The woman's face turned pale as she slowly raised her trembling finger, pointing to the north.

The knight's massive plasma cannon lifted, aimed directly at her. The size of its nozzle diameter dwarfed even the mother's torso. "Are you sure?! You'd better not be lying~!" He threatened coldly. Before he could finish, his plasma cannon arm was severed in an instant.

Clank!

The arm, weighing tonnes, crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust in the air. 

The knight's eyes widened in shock as he scanned for the enemy. "Sniper?" He muttered to himself as his initial mind sought out the type of his enemy, his instincts kicking in. Without hesitation, he devised a plan to activate the defensive measures and reposition his mobile suit; just like how he was taught in the institute. 

"James! Activate Shield Protocol!" He shouted commands to his comrade, his voice sharp. With a flicker of a finger, a translucent blue shield materialised, enveloping each mobile suit wholly.

"Sniper!" He yelled as his thrusters roared and flared red, launching his giant into the air, his panic palpable. His ally followed, equally frantic in his motions. 

Suddenly, a hazy figure appeared above the one-armed Armatus, golden boots gleaming in the sunlight, etched sigils glowing mystically. Without missing a beat, Lupus slammed one heel down onto the Armatus' head, crushing it into the messy piles of metal scraps, gears, and shafts. The damaged part twisted, and blue electric sparks crackled, dancing from the exposing wires.

"James! Shoot her! Shoot the bitch!" The knight screamed over the comm, realising his primary visual was gone. However, his sensor still detected her physical presence on his Armatus's shoulder.

Without hesitation, his comrade, James, fired three plasma rounds at her in quick succession. But Lupus merely smiled, her cheeks twitching with amusement as she chanted, her voice echoed with divinity, "Phoros!" Simultaneously, she stomped her metal heel down, causing the mobile suit to vibrate violently.

The plasma rounds tore through the chaos of the battle, striking both Lupus and the headless suit, sending them hurtling into a nearby building. The explosion detonated with force, sending shockwaves through the air and causing the structure to collapse instantly.

As the dust settled, the upper torso of the Armatus was buried deep within the rubble, only its legs still visible. It was completely motionless as deafening silence filled the atmostphere.

"Is… is she dead? Boss, do you read?" James spoke urgently into his comm, but only static replied. He proceeded cautiously toward the collapsed building, his sweaty fingers gripping his weapon tightly. His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a figure moving casually to his left.

Lupus moved with surprising ease, her steps light and almost joyful as she tiptoed toward him.

The bronze knight studied her, noting how her black corset dress remained pristine, not a speck of dirt on her fabric. Her golden eyes locked onto him with a mocking gleam before she did the unthinkable. With a playful flick of her eyelash, Lupus stuck out her pink tongue and taunted, "Brrrrh!"

Anger surged through him, blood rushing to his face, his ears burning red. "You cheeky Wildren!" He spat, launching his mobile suit toward her, the ionised blade igniting in a blaze of fury.

Despite her frivolous attitude, Lupus was exceedingly cautious and remarkably superior in agility. One of her bunny ears twitched, and with a sharp click of her heels, she chanted, "Magnetos!" An invisible barrier, a different type of defensive spell, shimmered into existence, enveloping her just in time to deflect the full force of the ionised blade.

The knight's eyes widened in disbelief. "Huh?! Im~impossible?!" His blade recoiled, its reversed momentum sending his suit into a tumble, causing it to lose balance and arc backward mid-air.