I flinched as P33 fired its weapons upward, sending chunks of the ceiling and dust raining down on us.
"HEY, I'M IN YOUR HEAD, DID YOU FORGET?! DON'T BRING THE ROOF DOWN ON US!"
"Forgive me."
The roar of the machine guns slowly subsided, and the robot crouched before leaping through the hole. I gripped the handrail to keep from falling, screaming in surprise and admiring the scenery as we reached the top of the climb.
The helmet I stole shielded my eyes from the sunlight, allowing me to see the blue sky and clouds as well as the sea of buildings and factory warehouses below, with fire and smoke billowing from their chimneys.
Everything seemed so small from up here. I think I'm starting to enjoy admiring landscapes, first at the military base, then on the train, and now at the top of the Junk Heap.
However, it all ended as quickly as it began, and we landed with a heavy thud, almost falling to the lower level.
P33 walked with heavy steps, analyzing the surroundings with a beam of yellowish light emanating from its eyes. I did something similar, aiming my almost empty gun in the opposite direction from the robot so we wouldn't be caught by surprise.
"Where's that damn bird? I'm going to pluck it when it shows up!"
"Don't tempt fate, Zon. It's best to avoid as much conflict as possible on a mission."
"Of course, and look how well we did that."
I ignored the discussion between the red and white books and talked to Jekyll.
"Nothing from the squad. Did we get there first?"
"Probably, we should act fast before they get in our way again."
"What if Mercury shows up?"
"Focus on the wings to keep him on the ground and then use our numbers to surround him."
I murmured in confirmation, hearing the wind whistling past my ears. The top of the building complex was still under construction, with exposed beams, holes, cranes that seemed to touch the sky, and scattered tools.
Our walk led us to an unfinished open area, rectangular in shape, with a crane on the other side. At the base of the crane was something curious, a kind of large nest made of scrap metal.
"We're in his house."
"Great, I hope he doesn't mind if we make a mess."
I didn't have the energy to laugh at the joke, I just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. We approached slowly, our books protecting our backs, and when P33 leaned forward, I couldn't help but smile at what I saw inside the nest: two Grimoires.
One of them had a colorful cover, printed with diamond patterns in yellow, black, and purple, and a smiling mask. The other had a serious-faced mask and a cover with several blocks in the process of connecting.
"Let's not waste time, the celebration can wait."
I couldn't agree more. Jekyll's arms emerged from my body and stretched towards the books, burning slightly in the sunlight. I opened my bag as they were pulled out, preparing to put them away immediately.
CRASH!
"AAAHHH!"
It was difficult to understand what happened; everything was fine for a moment until something cut Jekyll's arms off and left a large crack in the ground.
"Jekyll!"
"Don't worry! Prepare to fight!"
The arms that were on the ground hissed and bubbled, disappearing into a dark puddle. Jekyll's stumps stopped leaking a dark liquid, and new arms sprouted in their place.
The attack came from above, judging by the cut, but searching for its origin yielded nothing, until I saw a dark spot in front of the sun, followed by a familiar flapping of wings.
"Hostile detected, opening fire."
The barrels of P33's weapons spun and he fired a barrage of bullets toward the robot. Zon did something similar, sending his powerful beams.
I couldn't do much with the gun I had, and Jekyll tried to retrieve the books again, managing to bring the colored one to us, but failing to grab the other when another crack opened in the ground, almost tearing off his arm.
However, the ones that appeared next hit the crane, cutting its base and causing it to topple toward us.
More cracks opened near and Blank created a protective barrier in response, and thanks to that, I managed to see what almost hit us. Air, Mercury sent blades of air, so fast that I only saw them when they dissipated upon hitting the barrier.
Fortunately, one of Zon's shots hit the robot's wing, causing it to spin as it fell, with smoke spewing from its left side. However, its attacks became more savage, a rain of cuts came our way, and with a final blow, the barrier was destroyed.
We moved immediately as Mercury fell like a meteor, hitting its nest with a bang, covering it in smoke. As if that wasn't enough, the crane finally gave way due to the damage, forcing us to run to the side or be crushed.
I couldn't hear what the others were shouting amidst the deafening noises; the sound of metal shattering hurt my ears, and the cloud of dust blocked my vision.
For a moment I thought everything would collapse due to the resulting tremor, but gradually, things seemed to calm down.
"ARE YOU OKAY?!"
"WHAT DO YOU THINK, KID?!"
"ZERO CAUSALITIES AT THE MOMENT!"
"Integrity of this unit at 100%."
"I'm still alive, Hyde!"
Jekyll threw me the book, and I wasted no time putting it away and tightening the strap of the bag against my chest. However, the other one was still in the nest, if not destroyed.
CRASH!
Something leaped out of the wreckage, and there was Mercury, landing atop the crane and staring at us with his gleaming eyes.
Anything I was going to say never came out, because Zon and P33 wasted no time in firing. However, before the attacks even hit him, the hand holding the robot's large twin blade spun rapidly.
It started with a buzzing sound, the air became visible, and a powerful gale blew in our direction. The bullets flew away, Zon's beam dissipated, and the books were the first to be pushed off the roof.
I gripped the handrail on P33's head with all my might, feeling my feet leave the ground. As if that wasn't bad enough, the large robot began to slide backward, approaching the edge.
Just when I thought I was going to fall to my death, a barrier appeared in front of us, blocking the wind, and a magic beam struck Mercury's side, knocking him off the crane.
"YOU STUPID PIGEON! CAN'T YOU SEE WE CAN FLY?!"
"Our enemy is a rabid animal; I'd be surprised if he could use tactics."
Blank and Zon approached from the sides. I thanked them both, but my words turned into a surprised cry when P33 charged wildly, making the ground tremble with his heavy steps, and sped through the crane like a train, delivering a punch to Mercury's face, who slowly got up.
The winged robot made a bird-like sound, swinging its blade in an arc, leaving a deep cut in P33's arms, which her raised as a shield.
"Alright, no messing around this time!"
"I couldn't agree more!"
I jumped off P33, landing on Mercury's back and sticking Beastbain into the metal. With my remaining hand, I pulled the trigger of my gun, emptying it into the machine.
Unlike the bullet weapons we found during our explorations, the energy weapon made a muffled hum each time it fired, leaving scalding holes in the robot.
The armor melted, giving way to wires and other sensitive parts that sparked and burned due to the damage received.
However, the gunfire ceased quickly, and the glow emanating from the weapon vanished. Clicking my tongue, I threw it away and drew the Blade of Mars, preparing to plunge the fervent sword into the maddened AI.
"Watch out!"
My eyes widened as Jekyll's arm surged forward with the Vile Axe in hand, blocking Mercury's long tail that flew like a whip. There was a crack followed by sparks; despite having the brute force of the blow blocked, we were still thrown back.
We rolled across the ground, grunting from the impacts and drawing lines on the roof with our weapons, slowing our advance. Jekyll even stretched out one of his arms, grabbing a steel beam and preventing us from falling off the roof.
"FUCK!"
I couldn't help but yell when I saw how close I was to falling, with one of my legs dangling over the edge of the building.
"Watch your language! I knew Zon was a bad influence!"
"NOT NOW, JEKYLL!"
I stood up and assumed a fighting stance, watching as Blank created barriers to protect P33, who opened fire through small openings on the sides, while Zon circled Mercury, bombarding it with rapid shots.
However, the robot wouldn't give up, alternating between air blades and powerful blows to keep the group pressured, preventing them from overpowering it.
Every time a barrier was destroyed, another was created, but not fast enough for Blank and P33 to escape unscathed, with cuts accumulating on their bodies. The same was true for Zon, who narrowly dodged the air blades.
I ran towards the fight, closing the distance with both swords burning. Strangely, I think I'm getting used to enemies pulling a trick out of their sleeve, because the tip of Mercury's tail opened, revealing a red eye, and its length widened, bringing forth several metallic spikes.
With a blinding swing, these same spikes flew toward us like arrows the size of my body.
I made a noise I wasn't proud of and concentrated, using the power of my connection to Jekyll, increasing my strength, speed and slowing down the world around me.
I stepped out of the way of the first spike, sliding under the second and leaping over the third. The fourth grazed me, tearing off my left shoulder pad along with a piece of flesh that Jekyll regenerated. I gritted my teeth in pain, cutting the fifth spike in two and parrying the sixth.
As soon as I was close enough, the tail lunged at my head, a blow that missed its target, as I cut off the tip, leaving it thrashing on the ground like a snake.
I leaped onto its back again, precisely cutting both wings, and in a scissor-like motion, prepared to sever its head.
To my horror, Mercury spun its twin blade and plunged one of its tips into its own body, sacrificing its left arm to block my attack. The force was enough to push me back, breaking my concentration and causing everything to revert to normal.
I tried to regain my balance, but the robot rose on its hind legs, knocking me to the ground. Then, it threw all its weight forward, destroying Blank's barrier and sending P33 flying.
His twin blade spun like a turbine again, but instead of throwing us away, Mercury fired a blast of wind at the ground, lifting himself into the air and propelling himself backward, landing far from us with a thud.
Raising his remaining arm above his head, the blade spun again, preparing for the next attack.
"Don't let him recover!"
Zon and P33 opened fire as Blank and I approached from the side, but nothing could have prepared us for what came next.
It started as something small, a hum and a light breeze, but a strong gale replaced it. For a moment, I thought he would send another blast, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
The wind became visible and a massive tornado covered the entire roof, a pillar of air that pushed us around like leaves. Jekyll and I planted our weapons in the ground again, and Blank created a barrier in front of us.
The book screamed something I couldn't hear and lunged forward. We followed suit, using our weapons for support, slowly closing the distance.
Mercury roared in fury, making the blade spin even faster. The barrier cracked and shattered in the intense winds, and with that, Blank was carried away.
I saw the blur of her body in the corner of my vision, but I held firm, entering my strengthened state to move forward.
The wind was biting, the armor I wore was in tatters, and my body was covered in wounds that regenerated rapidly, only for more to open up afterward.
It got to the point where Jekyll couldn't keep up, and the number of wounds outnumbered the healing, and with the next step, I could no longer stay in place. My feet left the ground, and I screamed as I flew, feeling as if my bones would break upon hitting something cold and hard.
"Allow me to help."
I struggled to lift my head, glimpsing P33 staring down at me. The robot held me in its arms, using its body as a shield while advancing.
Cuts tore off chunks of metal, exposing its internal parts. Smoke and sparks shot from its joints, and the light in its eyes flickered, but the robot continued forward.
"Keep walking, you old tin can! I'll melt that pigeon's face!"
Looking to the side, I saw Zon in the robot's arms as well, charging one of his energy beams. It was a slow but steady walk, each step of P33 reverberating through the environment as Mercury continued its attack.
I couldn't see what was ahead of us, I even thought we were lost, but amidst all that chaos, I saw a pair of bright eyes.
Mercury let out a distorted noise, but it seemed he had reached his limit. The winds didn't grow any stronger than they already were, and with a swing of his left arm, P33 struck the robot's arm, stopping the blade from spinning.
The next blow came, courtesy of Zon, a scarlet ray emanating intense heat.
Mercury tried to escape, but wasn't fast enough. His form vanished in the attack for an instant, and when the beam disappeared, he was nothing more than a melted statue.
Despite this, the robot still tried to move, its body cracking and leaving pieces behind with each step, but it didn't get very far.
I jumped from P33's arms and with a swift blow severed its head, but I didn't stop there. I turned around upon landing on its back and separated its human torso from its animal body, sending them crashing to the ground.
His head rolled like a ball and his eyes stared at me for a second, any further action he might have taken never came, as P33 lifted his foot and crushed it like an ant.
"Target eliminated, retreating for repairs."
With that done, P33 turned his back on us and returned the way we came.
"He's just leaving like that? Without a goodbye?"
"P-Units weren't programmed with emotions. He had a mission, and now that it's complete, he'll wait for the next one."
"That's kind of sad."
"We can arrange something for him to do, at least that way he won't be gathering dust in a corner."
"Better than nothing, I guess."
I scanned my surroundings, trying to get my bearings, and after a few seconds, I found the crane base and what was left of the nest, but to my disappointment, the remaining Grimoire was no longer there. I approached the edge of the building, trying to find where the book had landed, but I had no luck.
"Should we look for the book?"
"That is, if it hasn't been destroyed. Do you still have the energy to continue?"
I'd like to say yes, but that would be a lie.
"Well, one is still better than nothing, right?"
"Yes, let's make do with what we have. There's no reason to despair over something beyond our control."
Sighing, I met up with Zon, and Blank, who had returned from wherever she landed.
"Let me guess, no book?"
I shook my head at the red Grimoire, making it curse in response.
"Let's retreat and tend to our wounds. We can plan our next move later."
I couldn't agree more with Blank. We made our way back and jumped through the hole made by P33, going in search of the robot.
It wasn't difficult; we just had to follow the trail of destruction and tremors until we entered a circular room with the robot in its center, surrounded by walkways and mechanical arms repairing its body.
"Greetings, how can I be of service?"
I repeated the words Jekyll told me, getting more information about the robot.
"What do you plan to do now?"
"With the destruction of Mercury, my current objective is complete. After my repairs, I will begin those of the other P units, and after that, we will return to our standby state."
"That sounds boring, how about a new mission?"
"Do you want me to accompany you in the search for the other Grimoires?"
"No, sorry about that, but you attract a lot of attention. In fact, as the highest authority present, I would like to appoint you as the new administrator of this facility informally called the Junk Heap."
The robot emitted a series of clicks and beeps that lasted less than a minute, then spoke.
"Rank update complete, what are my new parameters?"
"Now that the facility's power has been restored, you will bring it back to 100% efficiency. All damage must be repaired, robot production maximized, computer systems reconnected, and as much data as possible restored. Leave this place as good as new and protect it from any danger, but try not to kill anyone if possible."
"Understood, I will begin my new mission as soon as the repairs are complete. The facilities will be operating at maximum capacity when you return."
"I can't wait for that. Until we meet again."
"Likewise."
We made one stop and headed towards the exit of the Junkyard after our conversation. I reluctantly abandoned the armor I was wearing; it was cool, but it was nothing but rags now, and as soon as I set foot outside, I took a deep breath, happy to have left that damned factory behind.
"Hey, what do you guys think happened to the squad?"
"Hopefully they were blown away by the wind, otherwise, I'll turn them to ashes."
"It's never that easy, Zon, we must prepare for when we find them again."
"Even if they died, they're hardly the only ones, but we should celebrate, we didn't fail completely."
"You're just happy to get a new weapon!"
"What can I say? Mercury's twin blade was too good to pass up."
"That thing is bigger than you! I can't believe you made me come back for it!"
"Don't be like that! I'll let you use it if you ask nicely!"
"Seriously?"
Then we returned home in search of a well-deserved rest, but I admit, I was curious to find out what this new Grimoire could do.
-XXXXXX-
A group of strange people walked through a misty forest, their armor and weapons, unusual for the time, creaked with every step amidst the vegetation.
"Are you sure the book fell here?"
The squad leader asked one of his partners.
"Affirmative, the camera on my helmet recorded everything and calculated the trajectory."
"I hope that's right, otherwise the administrators will skin us alive."
Another squad member spoke, causing the others to shrink back and begin a long conversation.
"Why are these books so important? We have strangers going after them and crazy AIs protecting them."
"We don't have the authority to know."
"And that guy with the books? Does anyone have any idea who he is?"
"Negative."
"But he's strong, we'll need more men."
"Probably."
"And the facility? Should we go back?"
"Why? To deal with more killer robots?"
"Look!"
The conversation stopped abruptly, and looking where one of the squad members was pointing, they all saw the missing book caught in the branches of a tree.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the administrators will be happy when we return."
-Junk Heap, year?-
Two strange flying machines hovered above the now-abandoned factory, each piloted by a pale, white-haired person dressed in black.
However, their advance was not uninterrupted, as comically shaped mechanical beings fired red orbs from the rooftops while others with torsos strapped to flying saucers pursued them.
"Why are the machines so interested in protecting this place?!" The pilot of one of the flying machines spoke, revealing himself to be a man.
"I don't know and I don't care! Let's grab the cargo and get out of here!" The pilot of the other machine replied, revealing herself to be a woman.
"Affirmative!"
The man in black advanced, diving and bombarding the machines on the roof with energy blasts and missiles, clearing a path for his companion whose aircraft assumed a humanoid appearance, grabbing the griffin-shaped statue located on a kind of altar.
Its weathered body was surrounded by candles and offerings, not that they knew the meaning behind it, unlike the machines wearing ceremonial robes around it.
As quickly as they came, they left, taking their prize while the revolted machines remained behind.
END OF CHAPTER