CHAPTER 68: IRONHOLD’S LAST STAND [1]

BZZZ!

The spore storm hit first, a corrosive haze melting 80 meters of Ironhold-3’s outer defenses, shredding it to molten debris.

The Sovereign’s Sporebloom Maws snapped, a tendril sweeping a squad of 12 soldiers, their Furnace Core vests igniting, screams cut short as sap dissolved flesh to bone in seconds.

A Spore Crown Behemorph of a higher rank was the worst enemy to any Awakened human. It could and would kill you in the worst ways imaginable.

Blood sprayed, limbs liquefied, skulls pooling in fungal sludge.

Another tendril crushed a drone turret, its Null Lance sparking, shrapnel shredding five Ironblood, their Embers, none Awakened snuffed out in an instant.

In just a few seconds, 27 souls vanished, their deaths brutal, visceral; a soldier’s torso bisected by spores, another’s lungs foaming as Reality-Warp Spores aged her to dust, her scream echoing a century’s decay.

The sight, the sound was brutal, traumatizing, maddening.

The psychological toll ripped through the ranks; soldiers collapsed, knees buckling, eyes wide with primal horror, some vomiting, others frozen, clutching Null Blades like talismans.

Yet spite flared in some survivors, watching their comrades die so helplessly and in such brutal manners.

A scarred Corporal roared, his eyes fully dilated, Furnace Core blazing, firing uselessly into the spore cloud, his squad cursing the Behemorph, defiance born of despair and desperation.

"Hold the line!" Vrenna recovered from her initial shock and bellowed, mechanical arm sparking, shoving through the command bay, blood splattered across her crimson vox.

Captain Vex, leg braced, arm slung, gripped her Null Blade, gray eyes burning with defiant stubbornness. She was ready to fight to the death.

Drayce’s Furnace Core flared, his Nullaxe trembling, desperation evident in his eyes, while Rhea, silent, readied her Null Lance.

This was what she wanted all along. She was tired of running.

Her conviction was sure. ’If I’m dying today, I’ll die an Ironblood!’

"Let’s bring this big fat bastard down with us!" She growled.

She was merely Initiate Ember. She may not have power in abundance, but guts? Those, she had in abundance.

As for Sylas? Dust fogged his cracked lenses; he was left muttering incoherently after the initial rampage, but he followed.

The Ironhold-3 Commander, Kael Draven, a Luminous Seed Awakened with an Aspect called Ironveil Aegis (fortifying barriers) finally reacted, slamming his gauntlet on the holo-panel, face carved with 40 years of ash and zeal.

Ironhold-3, origin of the Null Shrikes, held tech beyond Bastion-7’s dreams. After all, Ironhold-3 was the regional headquarters for the Ironblood Remnants.

It was the regional headquarters designated to rule and supervise over the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse. And now, its existence was under threat.

Ironhold-3 had five Titanforge Mechs, 25-meter humanoid machines, each amplifying a Luminous Seed pilot’s Aspect to battle high-rank Behemorphs.

It was mostly used to battle particularly troublesome Luminous Seed Behemorphs, those with terrifying Crown powers.

They’ve never had to battle a Verdant Warden Behemorph.

Against a Verdant Warden? A death sentence, but Ironblood didn’t cower.

"To the mech bay!" Draven roared, vox crackling. "We have 5 Titanforge Mechs on standby!"

"If we die today," he growled. "We die standing!"

He led the way, moving rapidly.

The bay was chaos, spores seeping through vents, tendrils piercing steel, Mycoglyphs flickering.

Another 15 Ironblood fell within this time, a Sporebloom Maw pulping a squad, blood misting, their Furnace Cores detonating in futile flares, spore clouds swallowing Embers.

A Corporal sobbed, collapsing, her Null Blade clattering, sanity shattered by a comrade’s skull dissolving mid-scream.

The vivid image left her too traumatized to lift her Blade again.

Spite drove the others.

A Sergeant rallied 10, their Disruptors sparking, only for a tendril to crush them, bones snapping, blood pooling in fungal craters.

The death toll hit 42, and still climbing, each loss a gut-punch.

A drone pilot’s eyes melted, a Scion’s Aspect snuffed by Reality-Warp spores, his scream echoing a warped eternity.

The survivors teetered, fear paralyzing half, spite fueling the rest, cursing the Plague Sovereign’s alien wrath.

They’d be damned if they die without fighting!

While the destruction and death took place, Vrenna, Draven, Vex, Drayce, and Rhea reached the mech bay, Null Scion generators humming, five Titanforge Mechs looming; humanoid, steel and chitin hybrids.

Their Genesis Amplifiers glowed, wired for Luminous Seed pilots.

Vrenna climbed the machine designated as Ironwrath, its Furnace Nexus synching her Ironclad Resolve Aspect (durability enhancement).

Yes, Commander Vrenna had an Aspect, just like Commander Draven.

Not all Ironblood lacked Aspects like Captain Drayce. Some already had Aspects before they became a part of the faction.

For most of them, they hated the corruption that the Genesis Protocols brought, but they acknowledged the power that it also promised.

It was hypocritical, but it couldn’t be changed.

Draven entered the mech designated as Aegis Bastion, his Ironveil Aegis Aspect linking, barriers shimmering.

Vex powered Bladestorm, her Nullstrike Precision Aspect sharpening its blades. She had an Aspect, but due to its single-minded nature, Clayton never noticed during his clash with the Ironblood.

Drayce fueled Pyreclad, Furnace Core igniting its plasma vents.

Rhea? She was no Luminous Seed, she barely activated Lancebreaker, power from her Furnace Core and her Piercing Dominion Aspect charging its lances.

The mechs roared, Genesis Amplifiers flaring, Ironhold-3’s heart beating defiance against the might of the Plague Sovereign.

Outside, the Plague Sovereign raged, wreaking havoc.

Its tendrils shattered the spire, Sporebloom Maws devouring 10 more soldiers, their screams drowned in spore storms, Reality-Warp Spores twisting steel into fungal blooms.

It was frightening to look at this monster in action.

Fear crushed a dozen Ironblood, cowering in rubble, while spite drove 20 to fire Null Lances, their beams swallowed by Mycotic Regalia.

The death toll climbed to 52, a slaughter of flesh and spirit, Earthcore Nexus’s hunger a dirge.

But then...

CREAK!

The mech bay doors groaned, splitting open, and from inside they came.

Ironwrath, Aegis Bastion, Bladestorm, Pyreclad, and Lancebreaker emerged, 25 meters tall, Genesis Amplifiers blazing, Vrenna, Draven, Vex, Drayce, and Rhea piloting, their power and Aspects burning against the Plague Sovereign’s spore shroud.

In that moment, Ironblood’s last stand began.