Brushing past my side, slicing through the space where I had been just seconds ago, is a golden claw. Without a doubt, that would have caused serious damage; especially since it was aimed straight at the cockpit.

  I push the thrusters to their limit, putting as much distance as possible between me and the attacker. I stop a few meters away and observe it.

  It’s an armor… a very strange one, at that. Golden in color, but not a bright, gold-like shine; rather dull, lifeless. Its figure is covered in… particles? Small golden fragments float around it. It reminds me of the ash an object sheds as it disintegrates in flames.

  It has no visible weapons, only arms ending in large claws, just like its legs. Its head resembles that of a predator, with a huge mouth lined with sharp teeth, crowned by eyes glowing a deeper shade of gold.

  It just stands there, staring at its own arm as if it still can’t understand why I’m not impaled on it.

  I immediately recognize it as an enemy. Given its speed, this will be close-quarters combat, whether I like it or not. I quickly stow the rifle and grab the shield from my back. It deploys instantly, creating a thick barrier of blue ether in front of me. Then I take my spear, extend it fully, and connect it to my armor’s energy core through my palm, activating it at maximum output. The tip begins to glow intensely.

  “This is a unit affiliated with the Kingdom of Altar’s Army. Attacking unit, cease your hostility or I will be forced to respond,” I warn over the open channel, with little hope of avoiding a fight.

  The strange golden armor finally lifts its gaze from its claw and fixes its eyes on me. I can see a macabre smile forming in its jaws.

  I brace myself for anything, raising the shield, when in the next instant an impact sends me flying. I’m hurled uncontrollably until my armor slams into the wreckage of a ship.

  I don’t understand anything. The abrupt blow paralyzes my mind.

  “What happened? Was I hit? But… what about my shield?” I look at my right arm to check, but all I find is a twisted stump where the shield had been. “You bastard…”

  Now I understand why I instinctively avoided it at the beginning. Its power is insane. Facing it head-on is not an option.

  Before I can recover, I push the thrusters to maximum to the left, just in time to see its claw sink into the hull where I had been seconds earlier.

  “You son of a…”

  Reacting at that speed is impossible. Fortunately, my instructors sharpened my instincts very well; and now my mind is enhanced.

  Taking advantage of the fact that its limb is stuck in the metal, I use an old trick from my instructor and ride the momentum of my evasive maneuver to pivot around it, ending up at its back. Without wasting time, I deliver a powerful strike with the ether blade of my spear, aiming for the nape of its neck; its blind spot.

  My eyes widen in shock as I see my powerful thrust stopped by its other arm, without it even turning to look.

  “You…”

  It twists its head at an unnatural angle and smiles at me with those sharp fangs.

  “I’ll wipe that smile off your face.” I twist the spear’s haft and it begins to spin, trying to tear through its claws. Sparks fly from the friction until I manage to shatter its fingers and my spear slams straight into its head, driving in with force. “I’m not done yet! Eat this!” With the tip still embedded, I press a button on the haft and detach it from the blade, then leap backward. An instant later, its head fills with blue light and erupts in a powerful explosion.

  The enemy vanishes into the smoke.

  I breathe heavily, exhausted from the mental strain, but something doesn’t feel right…

  “That was… too small.”

  The explosion was far too weak for an armor of that size.

  I discard the spear’s haft, grab the rifle with my only hand, and open fire into the smoke. I don’t know what will work, so I fire everything: laser rounds, kinetic, armor-piercing, explosive, incendiary, freezing, poisonous, adhesive, stun, sonic, and flash ammunition.

  Explosions and flashes fill my vision until my weapon runs dry. I drop it, draw my energy pistol, and, panting, watch the smoke begin to clear.

  At last the haze dissipates, and from within it emerges the figure of the golden armor; battered and damaged. Its head is now a warped hole, its arms barely hanging on, and its body is riddled with impacts and punctures.

  But it’s still moving.

  Golden particles swirl around it as its structure begins to regenerate: the damage repairs itself, the arms reattach, and that damn toothy grin forms once more on its face. Its eyes gleam with amusement.

  “Damned monster…” I turn around and decide to flee at maximum speed. My thrusters roar as I plunge into the debris field, performing evasive maneuvers to make pursuit more difficult.

  The moment I think I’m safe and let out a sigh—smashing a ship beside me—a claw bursts out and grips Franky’s head.

  “You bastard…!” I immediately eject the unit’s head, even though it means losing my primary processing module and going back to piloting as just a man. But it’s better than being captured. Like a reptile cutting off its tail to escape.

  The golden monster watches the head for a few seconds, crushes it in its claws, and tosses it aside before resuming its pursuit.

  I zigzag through the wreckage, trying to slow it down, but it’s as if it isn’t even there. It smashes through the debris one after another by sheer brute force, like an unstoppable golden comet.

  In an instant it catches up to me and grabs my calf.

  Taking advantage of how close it is, I press the barrel of my pistol against its face and fire several point-blank shots. But it doesn’t even flinch. It takes the bullets head-on, and they barely leave small marks that seal themselves immediately.

  In response, the monster tightens its grip and pulls. It does let me go, but only after tearing off my calf.

  I abandon evasive maneuvers and run at full Leonidas power, trying to leave it behind—a decision I would pay for dearly, since its unit is significantly faster.

  It appears above me in an instant, grabs my good leg, and begins smashing me against the wreckage, spinning me in circles. It shakes me like a rag doll; inside the cockpit the impacts start taking their toll, until fortunately fatigue overcomes the limb’s durability, it snaps, and I’m sent flying, crashing into a corvette.

  “Damn it… it’s playing with me!” I spit in fury, along with a bit of blood.

  I check my status. It’s not good. Franky is wrecked; only the torso and one arm remain.

  I feel something strange in the leg that was crushed. I look at it, and my eyes widen in horror as I see it being covered in golden tracery climbing upward toward the torso.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  That doesn’t look good at all. I immediately eject the limb and watch it turn completely golden before disintegrating into particles.

  “Looks like it’s going to be hard to get out of this,” I complain, watching the monster appear above me, smiling.

  I take my knife—my only remaining weapon—and use the thrusters to get back on my “feet.”

  Seeing my efforts, it smiles even wider, clearly amused by such an entertaining little mouse to play with.

  I beckon it with the knife.

  In an instant it’s on me. I spin the engines as fast as I can, but without the enhancement it’s not enough: its hand pierces my torso, stopping centimeters from the cockpit.

  I’m left hanging in its raised claw. It smiles, and I see its jaws open, drawing closer to bite me.

  “Got you,” I whisper.

  With my last functional limb, I grab onto it and drive the knife into the back of its neck, clinging to it.

  At the same time, I trigger the self-destruct and eject the cockpit, shooting away as I watch what remains of my little Franky begin to glow… and then explode in a massive blast.

  Without looking back, I use the smoke to exit the cockpit, which is still traveling at high speed and spinning out of control. Thankfully I’m wearing the MechFrame; otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to stand.

  I break open the hatch and jump while spinning erratically, trying to grab onto anything to stop myself. My arm snags on a ship and tears through its hull as I slide, spinning across it. When I slam into it, I hear a sound my arm definitely shouldn’t make. I hold on until I manage to slow down enough and spot an opening in the hull, which I leap into without hesitation.

  I plunge into the darkness, while the last thing I hear in the distance is my capsule being torn apart, followed by a furious roar. And the last thing I see is a solid metal bar rushing straight toward my head. And then… everything goes dark.

  ***

  Once again, I’m floating in the dark void.

  In front of me, two gigantic white eyes watch me intently.

  I look at the owner of those eyes: the enormous dark hound, once again. It circles me slowly, scrutinizing me with that unfathomable gaze. After a couple of laps, it stops right in front of me.

  I feel it trying to reach me, drawing me toward the dark abyss from which it emerges.

  I try to resist, but slowly I begin to fade into immensity.

  The hound gradually envelops me, submerging me with its body… until nothing remains but black.

  I stretch out my hands, trying to grasp anything to escape, but I can’t feel a thing.

  Just as I’m about to disappear, I feel an invisible power tugging at me.

  I’m pulled out of the darkness, far away from the hound and the abyss. As I drift away, I can see that the hound doesn’t try to stop me. It simply stands there, watching me with its calm, curious gaze.

  ***

  [Alert: oxygen levels low.]

  That sound forces me to open my eyes. My entire field of vision is covered in… cracks?

  I’m a bit disoriented. I try to stand up, but my legs only flail, finding nothing.

  A piece of metal drifts slowly over my head.

  “Am I dead…? I imagined it differently.”

  I stay there for a few seconds, floating, without a single worry.

  [Alert: oxygen levels low.]

  The same warning sounds again, snapping me out of my reverie.

  I look around as I swap the oxygen pod. I’m floating amid the shattered remains of a ship. There’s no one else in sight.

  “What the hell was that?” I say, recalling the terrifying fight.

  I check with my suit to see if there’s any sign it’s still nearby. Fortunately, everything seems quiet. Looks like it’s gone. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

  I check whether my portable device suffered any damage. Thankfully, it’s intact, which is a relief, since it contains the only copy of my recording—and a fight like that against a new species is premium material.

  All right, with the important stuff secured, let’s check what condition I’m in.

  My helmet is full of cracks. I think I remember taking a massive hit while escaping. Fortunately, the gel deployed quickly, sealing every opening.

  “Wait… I think I heard a crack before that…”

  I turn to look at my right arm. Three fingers are pointing backward.

  “Huaaaaaaah… my hand!” I shout as I stare in horror at my fingers.

  No way. No way. I look around, searching for help or distraction… until I look down…

  “I think that’s not the right direction,” I say as I see my leg twisted backward. “Huaaaaaaah, my leeeeeeg!” I scream again.

  After spinning around in the void a bit more, I finally calm down.

  They don’t seem broken, just dislocated. I have to pop them back in place… and that’s going to hurt. Let’s start with the smaller one.

  “Good thing I passed out for a while. Otherwise this would hurt even more.” I take my arm and look at it. “Yeah, this is going to hurt. Spartan, reposition right arm.”

  Obeying the command, the mecha returns it to its normal position… with my fingers inside.

  “AAAAAAH!” I spin through the void again. “Spartan, analgesic,” I say between sobs.

  The mecha injects painkillers into my arm, dulling the pain.

  “Aaaah, that’s better. Maybe I should’ve started there… Well, too late now.”

  Movement still isn’t possible, so I set the frame to immobilize the fingers and act like a cast until I find a medical pod.

  “Now the hard part… Spartan, analgesic on the left leg, then reposition the limb.”

  I feel great relief, and then… a lot of pain. The mecha twists the leg in a single motion, leaving both legs facing forward.

  “Nnngh… that hurt even with anesthesia,” I say as I do my “pain dance” in zero gravity.

  At least I’m fine now. I configure the left leg to be immobilized. What a useful system. It’s usually used more for repairs, but it delivered excellent results. Wait a second…

  “Good thing it twisted it the right way,” I sigh, deeply grateful. “It would’ve been terrible if it had twisted it the other way.”

  After my little medical “adjustment,” I can start taking action. First priority: getting back to the Seeker.

  I check the map on my visor, searching for its signal.

  “Hmm… it’s pretty far. I’d already traveled a long way, and the fight pushed me even farther off course.”

  I estimate the return will take at least a full day. Fortunately, I’m using a space-combat mecha. If it were a ground unit… I’d be in serious trouble.

  Even so, I don’t want to stay exposed for that long with that thing roaming around. I did this badly while wearing an armor… I don’t even want to imagine how it would go with just the Spartan.

  I check the map again, calculating the route… when another point catches my attention.

  “And what’s this?” I say as I examine it.

  It appears to be my original destination: the ship from which the allied signal originated.

  “It’s significantly closer… about an hour or so.” I think it over for a moment. “All right, I’ll head there.”

  I’m already nearby, and I’d like to find a safe refuge in case that thing comes back. And who knows… maybe I can find something useful to help me get home.

  With the destination decided, I activate the thrusters and leave the wreckage. I move cautiously through the debris, trying to expose myself as little as possible, stopping every so often to observe in all directions.

  It’s a slow pace, but a safe one.

  Thus, after three hours and two oxygen pods later, I reach the source of the signal.

  It’s a somewhat narrow sector, since the remains of a gigantic Dominion-class ship are scattered throughout the area, covering much of the Storm.

  It’s an impressive sight. Even the Seeker had looked tiny next to the Graveyard Caretaker. Compared to it, I look minuscule.

  “At least it’s a good place to hide. Now, where’s the signal coming from?” I point my arm-mounted radar around until I get a response from a small corner. “Over there.” I fire the thrusters and head toward the indicated spot.

  As I move forward, the signal grows stronger, until a medium-sized ship appears in front of me, floating calmly. It has an unusual white hue for the Kingdom. The model seems familiar, but I can’t remember which one it is.

  “Well… it doesn’t look too bad,” I say as I observe it.

  It’s relatively intact. Sure, it has dents like everything around here, but it seems functional… until I get closer to its thrusters.

  “Hmm… damn, girl. Looks like you had a rough time.”

  The main thruster is destroyed and partially caved in. It looks like something punched through it with force. Armor-piercing munitions?

  “Hmm… it looks repairable… maybe? With time. Definitely not something you can do in the middle of combat,” I say, already starting to calculate the repairs. “Whoa, easy there, Rob. Old habits of the trade. First, we need to check the inside.”

  Now all that’s left is to see how badly the interior is damaged compared to the exterior.

  I approach an external hatch and prepare the recording. But I hesitate for a moment in front of the door.

  “Let’s hope there aren’t any more surprises…” I observe, analyzing the design. It doesn’t look like a warship; more like a data-gathering or command unit. “All right, I’m going in. At least I’ve got Spartan this time,” I say as I open the hatch and enter.

  The door closes behind me, and the room begins to repressurize. Everything looks normal. It seems I can breathe, so I take off my helmet.

  “Good air… it even has a floral hint,” I say as I inhale. “And more importantly: most of the systems still seem to be operational. That’s a good sign.” I move through the corridors, which light up as I pass.

  I find no bodies and no signs of a struggle. Everything suggests it was evacuated in an orderly manner, probably when the main engine was damaged.

  This just keeps getting better. I don’t know if the beating was worth it… but at least it wasn’t in vain.

  I walk until I reach the bridge. It should be sealed, but it’s open. Something suspicious… but I’m not going to complain.

  All the screens are off, except for a faint light blinking on the power button.

  “Power… looks like it went into hibernation to conserve resources,” I say as I approach. “All right, Sleeping Beauty, time to wake up.” I press the button.

  The bridge fills with light. All the screens power on.

  At the center appears the crest of the Kingdom of Altar. It remains for a few seconds… and then displays a second crest: a flower with nine petals formed by nine crowns of different colors.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me…” I stagger in shock. I recognize that crest. “A princess…” I murmur, stunned.