Chapter 73: Awakening the Vanguard

The chamber rumbled as ancient war machines flickered to life. Golden circuits pulsed along their frames, dormant energy surging through metal veins that had not carried power in centuries. The Vanguard's lost army, buried beneath history, was waking up.

Elias stood at the console, eyes scanning the interface as tactical data poured into his visor. His gauntlet synced with the system, the Vanguard Core inside him pulsing in resonance with the facility's newly reactivated defenses. Every piece of old technology recognized him as its new commander.

Varian Duskbane observed the activation sequence with a calculating stare, arms crossed. His presence carried the weight of a forgotten war, his posture rigid with years of battlefield instinct that had never truly faded, despite his centuries in stasis. "The machines still function," he muttered. "That means the contingency plan was never fully executed."

Lira leaned against a crate, flicking one of her new daggers between her fingers. "That's great and all, but contingency plan for what exactly?"

Varian turned to face them. "The Vanguard had a last resort in place before the war ended. If we fell, our remaining forces were meant to rally at hidden strongholds—Solmara being the most critical. But the Academy moved faster than we anticipated. They didn't just wipe us out; they rewrote history, erased us from existence. Now that this facility has been reactivated…" He gestured toward the blinking consoles. "…that signal will have reached any survivors still in hiding."

Reinhardt grinned, stretching his arms. "So, you're saying there might be more badasses like you still kicking around?"

Varian's lips curled into a smirk. "If they survived."

Marco tapped at his own console, eyes darting between glowing screens as new data flooded in. "Hold on. I'm picking up multiple response signals from outside the facility. Not all of them are Vanguard. Some of them… are Academy units." His face paled slightly. "They're moving. Fast."

Ivy immediately notched an arrow, her stance shifting. "How long until they get here?"

Marco exhaled sharply. "At this speed? Minutes."

Cecilia smirked, adjusting her gloves. "Good. I was getting bored."

Elias turned to Varian. "You've fought them before. What's our best move?"

Varian studied the room for a moment, then turned to the war machines still awakening around them. His golden eyes gleamed. "We test what still works."

Without hesitation, he strode toward one of the massive armored constructs lining the chamber walls. It stood over ten feet tall, its frame reinforced with Vanguard plating, its core a fusion of arcane energy and mechanical precision. Varian placed a hand against its surface, and instantly, the machine's eyes flashed to life.

Elias's visor flared with warnings. Core synchronization detected.

The war construct moved, stepping forward with a heavy thud, its plated arms shifting into modular weapons that hummed with stored energy.

Varian turned back to Elias. "Can you control them?"

Elias flexed his fingers, feeling the Vanguard Core pulse in sync with the machines. He exhaled, then focused, sending a pulse of command energy through his suit. The war constructs responded immediately, adjusting their stance, awaiting orders.

"Yeah," Elias said, a slow grin spreading across his face. "I think I can."

Reinhardt cracked his knuckles. "Well, then. Let's introduce our old friends to their new replacements."

The ground trembled as the Academy's forces approached.

The main entrance exploded inward, sending debris flying as elite war mages stormed in, their staffs crackling with magic, their armor reinforced with arcane barriers. A squad of Academy constructs followed, sleek and polished, moving with deadly precision.

At the center of them all stood a single figure—Grand Inquisitor Arvane, his long silver cloak trailing behind him, his cold violet eyes scanning the chamber like a predator analyzing prey.

His gaze landed on Varian first. Then, slowly, it shifted to Elias.

"You," Arvane murmured, tilting his head slightly. "You should not exist."

Elias didn't flinch. "Yeah? Get in line."

The moment Arvane raised a hand, the battle erupted.

Ivy fired first, her enchanted arrows piercing through enemy shields before they had time to react. The first mage staggered backward, an arrow embedded in his chest before his defensive wards could fully activate.

Reinhardt charged in next, slamming his shock gauntlet into the nearest Academy construct, sending it flying into the wall with a thunderous impact. The machine shuddered, sparks flying as it collapsed into a heap of broken parts.

Lira and Cecilia moved in tandem, weaving between attacks, their blades slicing through gaps in armor, targeting weak points with surgical precision.

Kierian engaged Arvane directly, his sword meeting the Inquisitor's mana-infused staff in a clash of energy that sent shockwaves across the chamber.

Elias, meanwhile, activated the war constructs.

His gauntlet pulsed, and the Vanguard machines lurched into motion, stepping forward in perfect synchronization, their heavy frames absorbing spellfire as they returned fire with devastating force. Energy cannons ignited, launching high-density plasma rounds into the enemy ranks, cutting through shields like paper.

Arvane barely spared them a glance. Instead, he focused on Elias, his voice calm, almost curious. "The Vanguard was erased. How is it that you command their machines?"

Elias's visor flared as he launched forward, thrusters propelling him toward Arvane in an instant. His gauntlet clashed against the Inquisitor's staff, sending a pulse of kinetic force that rippled outward, shaking the chamber.

Arvane held his ground, his violet eyes narrowing. "You are… not what I expected."

Elias grinned. "Yeah? Keep guessing."

He twisted, using his thrusters to flip over Arvane's strike, then slammed his gauntlet into the ground, releasing a shockwave that knocked multiple enemies off their feet.

Marco's voice crackled through the comms. "Elias, the war constructs are syncing with your neural network. You don't have to just command them—you can fight through them."

Elias's mind processed the information in a split second. His connection to the machines wasn't just giving orders. He could feel what they felt, move as they moved.

He clenched his fists.

"Alright then. Let's see what they can do."

The war constructs synchronized with his every thought, shifting as if they were extensions of his own body. One mimicked his stance, firing a focused blast of plasma that tore through an enemy barrier. Another moved to intercept an Academy mage before they could cast, crushing their staff with a single brutal strike.

Lira caught the sight and let out a low whistle. "Okay. That's new."

Ivy loosed another arrow, smirking. "I think we just hit the next level."

Arvane, for the first time, looked genuinely intrigued.

"You are an anomaly, Elias Graham." His voice was quiet, almost thoughtful. "But all anomalies must eventually be corrected."

Elias lunged again, the war constructs moving with him, their sheer power tearing through the enemy line.

This wasn't just a battle.

This was the return of the Vanguard.

And the world wasn't ready.