Discimer:

  Issei Hyoudou and all its characters belong to Ichiei Ishibumi .

  I don't own anything other than the original characters I create.

  Chapter 3: Ferak Massacre

  The earth shook.

  Explosions devoured the horizon as Valhara 's mecha tore through the ruins of the outer wall, advancing with a mechanical coolness that only war machines could possess. Feron 's troops , disorganized and caught in the chaos, tried to fight back… but their mecha wouldn't start, their turrets wouldn't fire, and their defenses were gone.

  The first to fall were the soldiers stationed on the defense line.

  Valhara 's lead mecha , a bck steel colossus in imposing thick pte armor, raised its rotary cannon and unleashed a shower of projectiles that tore through the soldiers' bodies like paper. Blood spttered across the metal floor , and mutited bodies crumpled as bullets tore off limbs and shattered spines.

  One of Feron 's mecha managed to start just in time.

  The pilot, his eyes wide with terror, charged at the enemy with his psma saber .

  — "Die, you fucking bastards!" he roared over the radio, with the desperation of a man out of options.

  The saber traced an arc of incandescent light in the air and pierced the chest of the first mecha. Valharian . The steel burned, melted, and the pilot inside screamed as he felt the hellish heat devour his cockpit.

  But there was no time to celebrate.

  Another enemy mecha , twice its size, shot him at point-bnk range.

  An energy projectile ripped through the torso of Feron 's mecha , piercing it from side to side. The pilot's blood sprayed out like a fountain through the charred hole in the cockpit , spraying the ground red. His smoldering remains fell to the ground , and his machine colpsed in a pile of shattered metal.

  Valhara 's mechas continued their advance.

  From the stealth ships, missile batteries began to rain down like a hellish storm .

  Ferak Hangars were the first to be reduced to ashes.

  The massive bst doors burst open in a shower of debris, and fmes engulfed the bodies of the mechanics trapped inside. Some died instantly , incinerated in the explosion. Others ran out , engulfed in fmes, screaming as their skin melted away and their bones were exposed.

  The pilots who tried to climb into their mechas died before touching the controls.

  One of them, a veteran with more than ten years in combat , managed to open the cockpit of his mecha… only to have a burst of shrapnel tear off half his skull.

  The headless body fell to the ground , spasming, as the inside of the mecha filled with its own blood.

  The Third Division attempted to reorganize , but traitors within the base continued to dey emergency responses .

  The enemy gave no respite.

  --

  Despite the carnage, some Feron pilots managed to get to their feet.

  Commander Zann , a veteran of a thousand battles, climbed into his mecha, the Magnus-04 model , a gigantic machine with a two-meter-long psma saber.

  — "TO ME, WARRIORS OF FERON!" he roared into the radio, his voice cutting through the chaos. "DEFEND THE BASE OR DIE LIKE DOGS!"

  The surviving mechas They regrouped , forming a line of resistance in the rubble. Bullets ricocheted off their armor , explosions lit up the sky with hellish fshes, and the sound of metal cshing against metal was deafening.

  Zann found his opponent:

  A Valhara mecha , the Titanus -X model , a twelve-meter-tall monster with a saw bde on its right arm.

  The crash was brutal.

  Zann He dodged the first attack at the st second. The massive saw passed inches from his cockpit , creating sparks as it cut through the air.

  He spun with deadly precision and sshed with his saber , tearing apart one of the enemy's legs.

  But the enemy mecha did not fall.

  He raised his left arm, equipped with a cannon, and fired at point-bnk range.

  The explosion tore off Magnus-04's right arm.

  Zann He roared in rage and pain , but he did not give up. With his remaining arm, he pierced the Titanus -X's core with his saber, twisting it inside its torso like a knife through raw flesh.

  The enemy machine convulsed . The pilot inside screamed before being torn apart by the internal explosion.

  Zann He stepped back just in time to avoid the bst wave… but a missile hit him from behind.

  His fuse split in two , and his body was thrown out of the cockpit , hitting a wall with a sickening crunch.

  His spine was broken in three pces. He tried to breathe, but his lungs were filled with blood.

  He died without being able to see the end of the battle.

  --

  The minutes passed, and the massacre did not stop.

  The charred bodies of the pilots littered the rubble.

  Infantrymen were crushed by the huge legs of enemy mechas or cut in two by heavy machine guns .

  Screams of agony echoed across the radio channels.

  — "We're outnumbered… we can't… AAARGH!" —A transmission cut out abruptly , followed by a wet sound… the sound of crunching bones and tearing flesh.

  Valhara advanced without mercy .

  Feron 's mechas were being destroyed.

  The pilots died one by one.

  Ferak base became a cemetery of steel and blood.

  Deep within the base, inside a containment room , Issei 's body remained motionless .

  But in his mind, something was awakening.

  And the war was not over yet.

  --

  The night in Veyra was a vast ocean of shadows, the sky tinted with a deceptive calm. But in the distance, the horizon burned . From her position in the northwest sector, Xara saw the orange glow in the sky , an ominous reflection of the hell that was breaking loose in Ferak .

  The monitors inside the cockpit of his Magnus X-12 mecha began flickering with alert signals. Communication interference. Scanner cutouts. Blurry images of explosions.

  Something was terribly wrong.

  The voice of Lieutenant Zeck , his second in command, boomed over the communication channel.

  — "Commander, Ferak 's signals … are disappearing."

  Xara frowned .

  — "What do you mean, disappearing?"

  Zeck a moment to respond, his voice thick with tension.

  — "We've lost contact with the base. Scanners aren't working properly, but... there's a massive thermal anomaly over Ferak . Something big is going on there."

  Xara tightened her grip on the controls of her mecha . Her instincts screamed at her what her mind refused to accept.

  Ferak was under attack.

  — "Everyone, move! Back to base, now!"

  Engines roared in the darkness as the Third Division mecha began to move. Xara led the vanguard , her heart beating like a war drum.

  "How could this happen?" he thought.

  The base was armored, protected by Feron 's best defenses . It couldn't have been a surprise attack… unless someone had allowed it.

  The cold foreboding of betrayal gripped his chest like an iron fist.

  --

  The journey back was a torment. Every minute lost was a punishment for Ferak .

  When they finally reached the outskirts of the base, they saw it.

  Hell.

  The walls of Ferak y shattered , smoking rubble. Corpses and charred remains of mecha littered the battlefield . Explosions erupted within the base, and the skies were filled with Valharian ships mercilessly bombarding what remained of the fortress.

  The Third Division fell silent.

  For the first time in years… they felt afraid.

  — "For fuck's sake..." —Zeck whispered .

  Xara clenched her fists inside the cockpit of her mecha .

  — "This is not a normal invasion. This is an execution."

  And then, the pieces fell into pce.

  Drelk .

  Captain Drelk had maniputed the reports. He was the one who convinced her to mobilize her best troops away from Ferak . He had led them out of the base at the exact moment Valhara attacked.

  He had betrayed them.

  Xara's fury boiled inside her chest.

  — " Zeck , track Drelk . I need confirmation of his whereabouts."

  The lieutenant began typing into the system, attempting to connect to Ferak 's internal network .

  Silence.

  There was no response.

  Xara gritted her teeth .

  — "If that bastard is still alive, I'll kill him myself."

  --

  The enemy mechas began to turn towards them. They had been detected.

  — "Contact! Hostile mecha approaching!" Zeck shouted .

  Xara did not hesitate.

  — "Attack without mercy! Advance, and leave nothing standing!"

  The Magnus X-12 unched itself into combat.

  The first mecha Valharian fired a missile directly at her .

  Xara dodged. The projectile passed just inches from her mecha, but the shockwave shook the cockpit. Without wasting a second, she activated the bdes on her left arm , a lethal extension of sharp metal, and sshed through the enemy's torso.

  Blood.

  Not just sparks and oil.

  The enemy pilot screamed as he felt Xara's bde pierce the cockpit , his body split in two before his mecha exploded .

  But there was no time to think.

  Two enemy mechs They unched themselves at her at the same time .

  Xara raised her energy shield , blocking the shots. She then spun around and fired her cannon into the face of the first attacker.

  His head exploded in a cloud of fire and metal.

  The second enemy attempted to circle around her , but Xara activated her mecha's thrusters , sliding beneath her opponent and driving her bde into the junction of his torso and mechanical leg.

  The enemy mecha fell to its knees, vulnerable.

  Without hesitation, Xara stomped the cockpit with the leg of her Magnus X-12.

  The pilot inside was crushed in an instant.

  The battle for Ferak had begun again.

  --

  While they were fighting, Zeck finally managed to connect to the internal network .

  His face paled as he saw the st communication log.

  — "Commander…" —his voice was low, contained by rage— "We have confirmation. Drelk transmitted the attack code. The signal came from within Ferak ."

  Xara closed her eyes for a second.

  There was no doubt.

  The man he had entrusted his army to ... was Ferak 's executioner .

  — "If he's still alive…" —Xara whispered, her voice an edge of steel— "I'll find him."

  And with a roar of fury, his mecha unched itself back into combat.

  --

  In the darkness of the containment room, Issei y there, motionless… but fully awake.

  Feron 's scientists and soldiers from pestering him with further tests or questions. He had learned, over the years, that sometimes the best strategy was not to fight... but to wait.

  His body was weakened, yes. The dimensional fall had worn him down more than he would admit. But he still had power, he could still move.

  just didn't want to do it.

  — "This is so boring..." —he muttered in his mind.

  From inside the Boosted Gear , Ddraig 's deep voice echoed with its usual mocking tone.

  — "Welcome to the prison of cowards. I'm gd you're enjoying it."

  Issei snorted mentally.

  — "We could have gotten out of here hours ago, but I'm waiting for the right moment."

  — "Sure, sure. Or you're just a first-css scker."

  Issei rolled his eyes.

  — " Ddraig , how many are out there?"

  The Welsh dragon paused before answering.

  — "Twelve scientists. Four armed guards. Cameras in every corner. Nothing special."

  Issei sighed.

  He knew he was being watched. He knew Xara was obsessed with him , that the scientists didn't understand what he really was, and that the soldiers saw him as a threat to be contained, not an ally.

  But it was not yet time to do anything.

  For now, I would wait.

  — "Wake me up if something interesting happens."

  — "Oh, don't worry." — Ddraig let out a deep ugh— "I think that's going to happen sooner than you think."

  And then, he felt it.

  --

  The explosion shook the world.

  A shockwave rippled through Ferak 's base like an earthquake , causing lights to flicker and metal to creak in the walls.

  The scientists in the containment room screamed and clung to their desks, their monitors fshing with red alerts.

  The guards, who had been rexed, immediately raised their rifles , staring at the door with tense faces.

  — "What the hell was that!?"

  The arms began to sound, but they were te .

  Gunshots were heard in the hallways .

  The emergency lights fshed bright red , and the sound of running boots filled the air. Something had broken through the outer barrier.

  Ferak was under attack.

  From his position on the containment stretcher, Issei smiled to himself.

  — " Ddraig …"

  — "Yes, my friend. This just got interesting."

  --

  The air changed.

  Issei He felt it on his skin , in every fiber of his being. That smell…

  Burning metal. Fresh blood. Dust and debris floating in the air.

  It was war.

  I could hear her. The screams. The roars of the mechs in combat. The explosions that shattered the ground.

  And then, something else came along.

  The presence of death.

  Somewhere in the base, someone screamed in unspeakable terror.

  Not a battle cry. Not a cry of pain.

  It was the sound of a man who knew he was going to die.

  The sound cut off abruptly.

  Issei he exhaled slowly.

  — "They are killing everyone."

  — "Of course. They didn't come to capture, they came to exterminate."

  — "So… what do we do?"

  Ddraig let out a hoarse ugh.

  — "That's up to you, Issei . You can keep lying there… or you can show them who you really are."

  Issei He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the explosions, feeling the metal vibrate around him.

  The scientists were screaming. The guards were running, desperate. The world around them was falling apart.

  The fires of war spread across Ferak …

  …and he still hadn't decided what to do.

  --

  The sound of war echoed around every corner of Ferak . Explosions shook the foundations of the base, causing metal panels to creak and lights to flicker with an erratic glow. The screams of wounded soldiers, gunfire, and the roar of mechs in combat created a cacophony of death.

  Issei He remained motionless on his containment table.

  But then, he heard hurried footsteps approaching.

  — "Quick, help me move it!"

  It was a female voice. A scientist.

  A guard helped her, his face covered in sweat and terror.

  — "Do you really want to risk yourself for this guy? We don't know what he is!"

  — "If we leave him here, he will die! I can't allow that."

  The scientist's hands trembled as she disengaged Issei 's restraints . The metal of the shackles opened with a soft click.

  The guard and the scientist lifted Issei between them , carrying him as if he were a dead weight. Issei kept up his act, allowing them to believe that he was still unconscious.

  As he was led out of the containment room, the war continued to rage around him.

  They passed a group of Feron soldiers , some wounded, some completely shattered.

  One of them y on the ground , his torso split in two. His intestines hung from his body like cables torn from a broken machine. He was still breathing, still trying to speak… but his jaw was torn off.

  Issei felt the guard swallow hard .

  Fear was a poison that spread throughout the base.

  Ferak was colpsing.

  --

  They advanced through the corridors of the base, dodging bodies and avoiding the colpse of destroyed structures. The emergency systems continued to sound arms , but everyone knew it was too te.

  The base was lost.

  And then, it happened.

  The ground shook .

  A deafening roar filled the corridor.

  An explosion.

  The shock wave threw them into the air .

  The scorching heat scorched the air , and a cloud of dust and debris enveloped them in a bnket of chaos.

  Issei felt the guard's body separate from him.

  For a moment, everything was silent.

  The smoke slowly cleared… and he saw it.

  The guard y on the ground , or at least what was left of him.

  His body was charred, his flesh stuck to the metal debris on the ground. One of his arms was missing, while his ribs protruded through his shattered torso.

  The scientist groaned in horror.

  He brought his hands to his mouth, his eyes wide, unable to look away from the smoking corpse of his companion.

  - "No no…"

  He was shaking.

  Issei also looked at the body.

  He had seen death many times before. In battles, on ruined worlds, in the faces of enemies and allies.

  But this was not a just war.

  This was a massacre.

  And then, he made a decision.

  --

  Slowly, he stood up.

  The scientist turned to look at him, mouth agape.

  — "Y-You… Were… awake…?"

  Issei He stretched his neck, rexing his muscles.

  - "Yeah."

  The scientist opened her mouth to say something, but another explosion roared in the distance.

  The ceiling cracked , and debris began to fall.

  Issei moved by instinct.

  He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the path of the debris , just before a beam colpsed where they had been seconds before.

  — "If you want to live, move!"

  The scientist blinked, confused , but survival instinct took over.

  They ran.

  As they moved forward, Issei felt the air vibrate with energy.

  The blood of war cried out for him.

  Ddraig he ughed inside his mind.

  — "Well, it's about time, Issei . What shall we do now?"

  Issei he clenched his fists.

  The Boosted Gear began to materialize on his left arm , the crimson scales glowing with a demonic glow.

  — "Let's return the favor."

  And with a fsh of power, Issei entered the battle.

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