Chapter 28: Sandrone | Mechanical Behemoth

Kyouya's commanding voice crackled through the walkie talkie, summoning the task force to their location.

Officers and Gardemeks filed into the waiting vans in an orderly fashion. Within the vehicles, the officers sat in focused silence, while the Gardemeks stood ready, their metallic frames glinting in the fading light.

"Alright, now that everyone is here. These are the coordinates," Kyouya said while pulling out a GPS.

"Then let's get right to it!" Childe shouted, running for the garage.

"Hey, wait up!"

The Maison Gardiennage often used hoverbikes for traveling long distances. These bikes ran on anemo energy, yet another fascinating invention from the Fontaine Research Institute. Childe effortlessly mounted one of the hoverbikes, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

With a confident grin, he revved the engine, and the bike responded with a surge of power. The wind tousled his hair as he prepared for the exhilarating ride ahead.

Kyouya leaped onto another hoverbike. His fingers gently caressed the handlebars. With a flick of his wrist, he activated the anemo-powered engine, feeling the bike lift off the ground, floating just above the surface.

"First time using one of these," he mumbled.

As they tore through the streets of Fontaine, the city lights blurred around them. Childe led the way, effortlessly navigating through the fray. Kyouya drove alongside him, feeling a bit excited for the upcoming fight. The vans followed them closely behind.

The night air whispered past them, carrying with it the scent of adventure and anticipation. They exited the main city and drove through the deserted lands for what seemed like hours until they finally reached their destination.

As the convoy neared the chosen battleground, the vans and bikes gradually came to a halt. The officers disembarked, their expressions a mix of steely resolve and readiness. The Gardemeks powered down momentarily, awaiting further instructions.

In the desolate wasteland outside the city, Kyouya and Childe stood at the forefront. The winds whispered with an eerie resonance, carrying the weight of the imminent confrontation. The scene was set for the inevitable duel with one of the Fatui's finest.

Kyouya cracked his knuckles while Childe stretched his limbs.

"I cannot wait to fight alongside you, comrade."

"Looks like you won't be waiting much longer."

Two Ruin Guards were walking towards them on foot while a couple more Ruin Hunters soared through the skies, rapidly approaching them. Hordes of Fatui soldiers were also rapidly approaching their location.

"You take the birds, I'll take the bigger ones on the ground. The rest of you, handle the foot soldiers!" Kyouya shouted as he began sprinting.

Childe nodded with a mischievous grin. Kyouya channeled his Electro powers, moving at the speed of sound.

"Rolling Thunder!"

He shouted upon dashing towards the approaching Ruin Guards, his movements mirroring a lightning bolt. With a swift motion, he effortlessly sliced through the automatons, leaving explosions in his wake.

On the other hand, Childe loaded an arrow onto his bow, his hydro vision gleaming as he took aim at the airborne Ruin Hunters. He gracefully evaded their attacks while his bowstring released arrows with deadly precision.

They were both perfectly in sync, each anticipating the other's moves without the need for words. More automatons approached them but the duo proved to be too strong, wiping everything in their path within a few minutes as they made their way through the area.

On the other hand, the officers and Gardemeks were clearing out the Fatui soldiers one by one. Both parties were suffering heavy casualties but the war raged on.

Kyouya turned back to see that his troops were getting wiped out at an alarming rate but the same was the case for the Fatui forces. Seeing his hesitation, Childe placed an arm on his shoulder.

"I warned you, comrade. This is just how it is. War never changes."

"You're right… war never changes."

"So, let's go on ahead. The Maison Gardiennage will send reinforcements anyways, right?"

"Yeah…"

"They can handle the fight over here but we need to be the ones to put down Sandrone."

"Alright, Childe. Let's go."

The two of them sprinted through the path until they encountered the towering figure of a giant robot in the distance. It was none other than the formidable Harbinger Sandrone, who sat confidently in the pilot's seat of the Ruin Guard EXCELSIUS.

This was her masterpiece. It was nothing like the other automatons, possessing top grade weaponry and supposedly impenetrable armor fortified by the power of Geo.

Kyouya's gaze locked onto the helm of the robot. He could faintly see Sandrone's silhouette. She was staring back at him with an amused grin gracing her features.

"We meet again, Sandrone."

The silence that enveloped the air was almost deafening.

"As expected, no response. I apologize for my ex-colleague's rudeness. Believe me, this isn't part of the Snezhnayan etiquette," Childe chuckled.

"I couldn't care less. I'm not a diplomat anyways. I'm just here to put her down."

"You know, comrade… it's at times like these that I get to see the real you. And I must say, it is such a fascinating sight."

"Childe… I think it's a bit too early to get so emotional. The fight hasn't even begun. Focus up."

"Alright, then. What's the plan, comrade?"

"Plan? Just stay alive I guess. Right now, I don't even know how this thing functions."

"That's hilarious! I always thought of you as the calm and calculating type but it seems like you've been embracing a wilder side of yourself lately."

"Well, yeah. The situation calls for it."

"Or maybe it's because someone's influence has been rubbing off on you?" Childe laughed, softly patting Kyouya on the back.

"Childe… this is NOT the time or the place."

"Sorry, sorry! Just getting some banter out before the fight. It helps me clear my head and get in the zone."

"You're a strange man. And this isn't helping me at all. I'd much rather have you focus on the fight itself."

"As you wish, comrade."

"I'm surprised she hasn't interrupted our little chat here."

"Well, Sandrone always lets her enemies make the first move. But still, you shouldn't keep a lady waiting too long. I can almost see her frustrated expression from here," Childe chuckled.

"Alright, boys. Looks like we're having metal for dinner tonight," Kyouya smirked as he ran his fingers along the electrifying sword in his hand.

As he began sprinting, his Electro powers surged forth, enveloping him in a dazzling display of power. With each movement, crackling bolts of lightning danced around him, lending unmatched speed and precision to his attacks.

He lunged at the formidable EXELCIUS, landing rapid strikes within a couple of seconds, but the Ruin Guard's unyielding defense proved to be too much for him. Sandrone sat in her pilot seat, unfazed. It was as if she had completely anticipated this is how things would turn out.

"I see," Kyouya jumped back, distancing himself from the mechanical beast.

As the battle raged on, Childe summoned his own Electro delusion, joining Kyouya in unleashing a torrent of electrifying power. Together, they weaved a dance of lightning, working in perfect tandem to exploit the Ruin Guard's weaknesses. The air crackled with energy as their combined assault pushed EXELCIUS to its limits.

However, the specialized Ruin Guard was relentless, striking back with tremendous force. The duo was forced to dodge and weave, their coordination the only thing keeping them one step ahead of the colossal automaton.

The battle seemed to be somewhat even until the EXELCIUS locked its laser sights onto Childe.

"CHILDE, WATCH OUT!"

He took a fatal hit from the missiles that followed up, landing with perfect accuracy. Kyouya's heart skipped a beat and in a split second, he dashed to Childe's side.

"Damn, it got you good…"

Kyouya gritted his teeth, as he lifted Childe in his arms and carried him to safety.

"TALK TO ME!" he shouted.

"I'm okay, comrade…"

Seeking cover nearby, he placed Childe gently on the ground.

"Fucking hell… Stay put"

With a renewed sense of purpose, he took a deep breath, drawing upon the last reserves of his strength.

"Here I go," he whispered.

As Kyouya dashed away from the cover, his heart pounded with adrenaline.

"This is like trying to move a mountain. We've been hitting this thing for like half an hour now and there's barely a dent on it…"

His lightning-fast speed was a blur as he led the colossal EXELCIUS away from the injured Childe. The ground beneath him trembled with each thunderous step, and the Ruin Guard's relentless barrage of missiles followed closely on his heels. Kyouya skillfully evaded each incoming missile, his body weaving through the air like a lightning bolt.

"Holy shit, that was close," he shouted while narrowly avoiding one of the missiles.

However, as the heat of the battle intensified, Kyouya underestimated the sheer force of one of the missiles. A deafening explosion echoed through the barren wasteland as a missile collided with the ground near him. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, and he was thrown off his feet.

Kyouya tumbled through the air, his body spiraling until he crashed heavily into the unforgiving ground.For a moment, the world seemed to spin around him, and his vision blurred as he groggily tried to regain his bearings. The harsh taste of dust filled his mouth, and a dull ache spread through his body.

"Bleh… does this thing never run out of steam? Ha… I can't keep going on like this," he said, coughing out blood.

Kyouya tried to reach for his sword but his body betrayed him. He was already pushing himself to the limit but the giant automaton was proving to be too much for him. Once again, he was on the brink of death with the EXELCIUS approaching him slowly. At that very moment, the voices called out to him once again.

"PATHETIC!" it shouted.

"Ugh… huh? It's you again."

"AND YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE AGAIN, BOY"

"Well… can you blame me? This thing is way too strong. There's literally no opening for me to strike."

"IT'S NOT TOO STRONG. YOU'RE TOO WEAK."

"Gah! Leave me alone!"

"IF I LEAVE YOU HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE."

"H-huh?"

"LOOK AROUND BOY. THAT WORTHLESS FATUI SCUM IS INJURED. NONE OF YOUR FRIENDS ARE NEARBY. NOT EVEN YOUR PRECIOUS ARCHON. IT'S JUST YOU. ALONE AGAIN!"

"B-but…"

"YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN ALONE. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU AGAINST THE WORLD."

"T-that's not true…"

"SHUT UP. DO YOU WANT TO DIE HERE? IN THIS SORRY WASTELAND?"

"I…"

"SPEAK UP BOY. TIME IS RUNNING OUT!"

"I don't wanna die! I still have so much to do!" he cried.

Childe watched from afar while clutching his wounds. As much as he wanted to help, the effects of using his delusion for too long had taken its toll upon him.

"THEN LET ME TAKE OVER."

"T-take over? What do you mean?"

"YOU CANNOT HANDLE THIS POWER. BUT I… CAN. YOU'VE BEEN RELUCTANT TO CALL UPON YOUR FLAMES UNTIL NOW BUT IT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL MAKE IT OUT OF HERE ALIVE."

The EXELCIUS towered over his body, raising its giant metallic arm, ready to land the final strike.

Kyouya closed his eyes.

"Do what you gotta do," he whispered, unable to hold on any longer.

He had given up all hope and left everything to the demon residing within him.

"HERE WE GO!" the demon cried out in joy as it took over his body.

The beast within him was finally uncaged….