[ENEMY DETECTED. MUST DESTROY. MUST DESTROY.]
The mechanical voice droned over and over in a horrifying, glitching loop as the towering body finalized its transformation.
Four arachnid-like mecha legs supported a massive chassis, capped by a colossal, sleek cannon mounted directly on top.
It was a De-Loidetor. The legendary harbinger of kingdom-wide destruction had returned.
"All units, attack! Focus fire and cut off its legs!" Iris commanded, overriding her fear as she directed Geldbarun and the main unit.
RATATATATA!
The battalion's high-tech guns roared into life, filling the air with a deafening barrage of enchanted gunfire. Yet, as the smoke cleared, the heavy rounds simply ricocheted off the mechanical limbs, leaving the legs completely undamaged.
"Wow, No damage! It's finally time for me to show off!" Rory cheered joyfully, her eyes sparkling with manic excitement as she unslung her giant battleaxe.
She began channeling every ounce of her raw magic power and Enchant ability directly into the weapon. The axe began to emit a high-pitched, whining sound, vibrating violently under the sheer volume of her energy.
The faint, swirling blue light wrapping the metal suddenly condensed, exploding into a solid, roaring aura of deep crimson and azure.
Griping the hilt tightly with both hands, she raised the massive axe high above her head and let out a fierce battle cry.
"Tyranny Slasher!!"
She brought the axe down. A colossal, crescent-shaped wave of combined red and blue energy tore through the air, slamming dead-center into the De-Loidetor.
BOOM!
A explosion ripped across the ruins, acting as if a massive bomb had detonated. The resulting shockwave unleashed a violent knockback blast that blew dust and debris across the forest.
Under the absolute weight of Rory's massive assault, the De-Loidetor's heavy body lost its footing and crashed violently into the dirt.
Seeing the monster grounded, Iris's tactical instincts flared.
'Now! There's an opening!'
Unleashing her true SSS-tier power, Iris activated her ultimate swordmaster art: "
Eight Thousand-Fold!
"
A blinding torrent of golden aura erupted from her body, expanding her sword's blade into a towering construct of pure energy. With insane, god-like accuracy, she swung.
The golden flash cleaved through the air, striking the De-Loidetor with absolute precision and cleanly severing all four of its massive mecha legs in a single stroke.
The heavy mechanical chassis collapsed, rendered completely legless.
Breathing heavily, Rory and Iris lowered their weapons, silently observing the smoking hull.
Behind them, the entire recon battalion stood completely paralyzed with shock. Watching the decimated landscape, the sheer realization of just how terrifyingly powerful the two princesses truly were hit them like a physical blow.
'Dear Majesty... what on earth are these girls even made of?'
Geldbarun thought to himself, staring in absolute awe and utter reverence.
But before anyone could celebrate, Iris's eyes narrowed. "It's not over!" she shouted sharply. Her superior senses warned her that this was no ordinary dungeon core.
"What?!" Geldbarun gasped, his face turning pale as he checked his tactical visor. "It... it's starting to regenerate?!" He was completely blindsided, thrown into utter panic.
"How is this possible?! They just took direct hits from SSS-tier and high-tier attacks! How can it still stand?!"
"Aww, man. I really thought it was dead," Rory pouted, though her lips quickly curled back into a wild grin.
"But hey, if it's still alive, that just means more fun for me!" She raised her axe, preparing to charge back in.
"Rory, wait!!" Iris yelled, stepping out to physically block her sister from advancing.
During her analysis, Iris had noticed something horrifying. Rory's devastating attack hadn't actually damaged the De-Loidetor's central body; instead, the core had actively
absorbed
the magic within the blast, which was the only reason the strike had resulted in a simple knockback.
Rory blinked, looking confused. "What is it, Sister Iris?"
"Do not attack it with magic," Iris warned desperately, trying to explain the danger. "If you do, it will just-" Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden, deafening mechanical roar erupted from the core.
Absorbing the lingering residual energy in the air, the De-Loidetor's metallic frame shifted, instantly regenerating its four massive legs back to perfect condition.
Staring at the fully healed titan, Iris felt a drop of cold sweat run down her neck. The worst-case scenario had just evolved into a living nightmare.