"Let's head down; she should be here soon…" The archer spoke as the two swordsmen promptly took point in sliding down the gravel. Positioning themselves in front of the tunnel as the archer slid down behind them while actively looking around at the ground above.
Though soon their noses stung as they smell a strange mixture of ozone & vinegar that lingered in the air alongside an unbearable heat.
All radiating from the tunnel in front of them.
"That is wei-"
*Rustle**Rustle**Rustle**Rustle**Rustle**Rustle**Rustle**Rustle*
Instantly their blood went cold as they all looked above and around themselves.
The first thing they saw was the blazing red eyes peering out from the forest to surround them from all sides. Footsteps weren't nearly as heavy as one would think as what could only be called bronze golems made to look like knights with glowing eyes stepped out. Pointing strange weapons at them.
In unison they spoke an unfamiliar phrase.
"WeAk iS ThE FlEsH!"
"StRoNg iS ThE StEeL!"
"WeAk iS ThE FlEsH!"
"StRoNg iS ThE StEeL!"
"WeAk iS ThE FlEsH!"
"StRoNg iS ThE StEeL!"
Those cold static filled voices echoed out from all sides as there was only one gap in their formation that was directly behind them. It was an obvious gap that wasn't too big. Making those humans confused about why it was left when it was easily fixed by just each golem slightly moving.
Though soon that was answered - they were leaving a spot open for their master.
"I really am curious where, when and how you boys came up with that phrase…" This voice was far more familiar even if they had only heard briefly when she spoke to the gate guards when leaving. They did not pay attention to what she exactly said which they now regretted.
That armoured figure stepped in to fill the gap with her arms relaxing in front of her oversized breastplate.
It took all the gumption built up in the archers life to speak up yet he soon managed to ask his pathetic question to the noble who looked down at them. "W-what is the meaning of this?"
She simply chuckled while shaking her head.
"Well your game plan of ambushing me in the tunnels seemed like it would take too long with how weak you all are so I decided to push up the deadline. I am a busy lady with a lot of weapons to test." Lifting those hands in a shrug as she innocently replied with even less guilt than they had.
When they spoke of their murders it was a means to an end while for her it seemed as if it was nothing but business as usual. She didn't even seem to be particularly vindictive towards them. A fact that frightened them far more than those "golems" ever could have.
Though seeing that she was willing to speak, he decided to play along, hoping to earn enough time that he'd think of some solution. Maybe find a weakness or some reason she shouldn't kill them. "You couldn't have gathered all these golems on short notice just to take care of some adventurers so…?"
Obviously asking what her plan was.
She was actually reading something in her helmet's HUD but they obviously didn't know that.
"It seems you truly didn't do any research into your targets, Edward, else you would know that I am not some random noble princess you can easily kill then rob the body of." Her words instantly sent a shiver down not only his but his comrades' spines. Looking at him with fear that he no doubt mirrored.
Because she knew his name somehow.
She didn't stop there as she threw her arms out wide with a boisterous laugh. "You honestly thought the three of you could take out the knight commander of an entire battalion in the honourable service of the god hunter knights? I find it more amusing that I do rage-inducing jehehehe~!"
At that their blood went completely cold upon realising they targeted someone they truly stood no chance against nor had any way to negotiate with. If what she said was true she was a bonafide knight with a veritable army at her beck 'n' call. A knight was far above their pay grade let alone a battalion.
All hopes of weaselling his way into her good graces fell away as her words also suggested that these things were not only known about by the kingdom but sanctioned. Looking around they saw some bots already brandishing poles adorned with the insignia of the Ankou. It's expensive nature plain to see.
"F-fuck they can't be too strong!" That one who was previously the voice of reason quickly became completely irrational as they began to charge towards the bronze knights. Of course the nature of the pit meant they were essentially forced to claw at the gravel to make their way up at any decent rate.
Simply put… The poor guy didn't stand a chance.
Those in front of him lifted what a modern person would recognise as rifles with drum magazines along with long ranged scopes. A strange combination until those bot boys pulled their triggers. Ozone radiated from them as a high voltage jettisoned bullet after bullet out with no recoil but great power & speed.
So quick that the strange *pzum* of the gunfire only echoed out after the man had been reduced to literal ribbons of bone as everything else had essentially been liquified. Small sonic booms caused by the bullets meant that even what was left of him ended up scattered in the wind. A terrifying sight that his friends simply couldn't understand no matter how long they stared.
"Repeat electromagnetic rifles that fire both quickly as well as with so much accuracy that they don't lose out to most other rifles if with some less overall power. Took me five tries, hence they're the REMR5, as that repeating part was harder than one may think." Letting out a sigh.
Shrugging her shoulders as she continued. "Tried usual spring loaded magazines but the springs just led to jamming which resulted in the gun literally blowing itself apart hence I decided to go with drums to feed the bullets in with better accuracy. Makes it annoying to refill the actual magazines however it is what it is."
The archer quickly decided to just chalk it up to some unusual magic as he ran towards the tunnel and was the first to arrive because-
*BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG*
-his team mate who spoke down to her didn't even stand a chance as he found his limbs literally blown off the second he turned on his heel to run away to the goblin hideout. That supposed knightess stood with her hand cannon firmly in one hand while the other rested slightly above the hammer. Smoke rising.
"Aaaah~ this has a down right beautiful feel that I simply couldn't get from the lower powered predecessors of this beaut~!" She practically coed out. It couldn't be said that he understood her reaction yet he sure as hell wasn't going to question it on account of it letting him run to safety.
The irony that he was likely the first to believe a goblin den was safe did not allude him and he couldn't stop himself from letting out a laugh. With his skills he should be able to hide inside. Even if they did decide to follow him those goblins always had a few secret tunnels out.
One or two of the blighters always liked to sneak out without permission and he couldn't' be happier about it at this moment.
Stepping into the darkness he felt relief hit him…
Taking that moment to look around…
Only to see, slightly above in elevated tunnels no doubt for the goblins to ambush intruders, were two more sets of glowing red eyes. They held something that looked even more unusual. Long barrels that had transparent tubes of liquid coiling around it with more of that liquid around the bots themselves.
Looking like they were preparing for winter in a volcano with the thick coats that used cooling system like they were effective armour.
They even had backpacks which the tubes connected to.
For those outside the cave they only saw him run in only to sudden stop as he let out a rueful laugh moments before splats of beautiful red, green & blue "liquid" covered him from both sides. Seconds later not even dust remained. Becoming completely atomised by the quark-gluon plasma-throwers (QGPT21).
Due to having his limbs blown off after turning around… The last member of the three man party watched what happened to the archer and could only look on while sobbing. In a mixture of pain as well as sheer fear caused by the confusion he felt upon seeing things he simply couldn't comprehend.
They literally brought swords to a sci-fi ambush…
"Definitely harder to produce than the REM5's due to the slightly cooling issues when dealing with something 4 trillion degrees Celsius. Fortunately there was no cost in using these bronze knights for testing purposes or it would have been worse." Shaking her head as she spoke.
"Y-you're a monster…" He said without even being able to turn to look at the girl responsible for all this.
She didn't seem to care about his opinion as she just laughed merrily as she was quite pleased with how effective her QGPT21 and Repeat EM Rifles (REMR5) were. It was amazing what she could do in a mere week to the point where even she was impressed. Of course these wouldn't hit any markets.
"While I'm certainly not human I wouldn't say I'm a monster…" Letting out a boisterous laugh as she turned around. Making a hand motion as she began to walk away without even turning around -upon receiving that signal her bots filled in the gap.
These new arrivals held a set of scared goblins who they promptly tossed down into the pit.
Those bastards didn't hesitate as they ran up to the man. "You just picked the wrong target; I'm the monster who hunts down the monsters that want to hide from hell and the heavens."
Her words being the last thing he heard before those goblins arrived and began to tear him apart with their bare claws while stuffing their faces at the same time. Literally eating him alive in the most violent fashion a humanoid could manage. Meanwhile those QGPT21 users stepped up to "remove" evidence.
They obviously cared little for the humans suffering however they definitely felt an AI's version of satisfaction as they stepped back the last living adventure while cleaning up after the REMR5.
His screams are nothing but a melody she hummed to as she walked back to the city.
Not knowing she'd run into the monster who punished those she hunted down.