The withered, bird-like old man holding a staff waited for the eight to approach him.
"The destined hour has arrived. It is time to enlighten the Vostonians and let them know that the God of All Machines is a false god of delusion. Only the God of Wisdom is the true god."
The old man's voice was shrill, like a bird's cry.
Zielinski asked in confusion, "High Priest, there are still eleven stellar years until the enlightenment date we planned. Why are you launching it early?"
"Zielinski, our lord has bestowed a Revelation. The destined hour has arrived."
Upon hearing this, the eight priests all lowered their heads. "We obey the High Priest's command! Praise the God of Wisdom!"
The High Priest extended his left claw and pointed at Zielinski.
"Zielinski, you are the first link in the plan. How is the Light of Enlightenment Project, which you are responsible for carrying out to ignite enlightenment, progressing?"
"High Priest, the foolish Piatek Swiderski is already my puppet. He will carry out any order I give."
"Very good, Zielinski. Before undergoing your foolish mechanical modifications, you acquired true wisdom."
"As long as you make good use of the wisdom and enlightenment I have bestowed upon you, those foolish humans, slaves of the false gods, will all become your playthings."
The High Priest nodded in satisfaction, then questioned the other seven one by one.
"In nine Work Cycles, execute the Enlightenment Project."
"By your command, High Priest."
After the eight priests left, a trace of cunning surfaced in the High Priest's blue eyes as he walked down the stairs.
Reaching the end of the passageway, he mounted a single-seat fast assault craft and let out a giggle.
"The Enlightenment Project is no longer important. My lord has given me a new mission, a plan that only I can complete."
Aboard the Piszczek, Rosicky discovered in astonishment that Nimrod's judgment had been correct. Enemy vessel A-II entered the Vistula Asteroid Belt at exactly the time he had predicted.
He stared tensely at the holographic projection. Nimrod had been so confident in his judgment that he had not even dispatched two Destroyers to draw the enemy's fire. Instead, he had begun tactical maneuvers early, allowing the Piszczek to emerge directly behind the enemy ship as it rounded an asteroid.
The gamble had succeeded. The Piszczek had avoided the coverage of A-II's powerful broadside guns.
Rosicky could not help but feel respect for Nimrod. He had always assumed the giant was merely formidable in combat; he had never expected him to possess such terrifying computational ability.
Flesh and blood actually possessed computational ability surpassing that of a mechanical body!
The Tech-Priest gained a little more confidence in Nimrod's next plan. He picked up the communicator and asked the Boarding Torpedo operator.
"Operator C-53, is the launch sequence ready?"
"It is ready."
"Execute the launch sequence immediately."
Boarding Torpedoes were less maneuverable and less heavily armored than Assault Boats, but they were usually smaller and harder to intercept.
To accommodate Nimrod's immense frame, Rosicky had specifically modified the Boarding Torpedo, raising the height of the passenger compartment so that he could barely stand inside it.
Apart from Nimrod, the Boarding Torpedo capable of carrying an assault squad could only fit Maria and two other Assassins.
A mechanical voice sounded in the passenger compartment. "Detaching the torpedo from its launch rack."
"Promethium fuel ignited."
"Launch countdown."
Nimrod stood firmly inside the passenger compartment, listening to the announcements.
"3."
"2."
"1."
"Thrusters ignited!"
Powered by burning Promethium, the Boarding Torpedo shot away from the Piszczek like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Maria and the other two immediately felt their bodies lose balance. Even the restraint frames pressing down on their shoulders could not keep them steady amid the rocket-like acceleration.
Their bodies lurched forward, slamming toward the giant's black armor before them.
Maria's eyes widened as she saw Nimrod gripping the restraint frame firmly, his body not swaying in the slightest.
Stubbornly, she gripped the handles in front of her shoulders and fought the impact with all her strength, finally stopping when she was still five centimeters from Nimrod's back.
The two Assassins on either side only came to a stop when they were about to crash into Nimrod's arms.
The mechanical announcement sounded again. "Contact commencing. Estimated impact duration: 17 seconds."
"Demolition preparations! Three-second countdown!"
"Clench your bite guards."
Nimrod's reminder brought the three back to their senses, and they immediately obeyed.
"1."
The Boarding Torpedo's melta explosive module detonated, and the immense blast thundered through the passenger compartment.
Maria and the other two immediately felt a tremendous force surge from ahead, hurling them backward.
Even with their helmets on, the deafening blast left their ears ringing and their vision swimming.
The violent shaking and jolting turned all three pale until a commanding voice rang out.
"Move!"
Only then did the three realize that the passenger compartment hatch had opened and come to rest on the enemy vessel's blazing deck.
Nimrod had already leaped out first. When he slammed heavily onto the deck, several aliens were crushed into pulp beneath his feet.
Maria pulled out her twin blades from the unlocked weapons rack. "Go."
Then she leaped out first. After stepping onto the hatch and using it for leverage, she sprang into the air and pounced on a tall alien clad in a tight purple protective suit.
The alien turned to flee while drawing a serrated dagger from its body.
Suddenly, like a swimming fish, he spun around in an instant and thrust the dagger at Maria.
The alien's prepared strike was swift as lightning, but Maria, who had grown up steeped in chemical agents, reacted even faster.
She raised the curved blade in her left hand to block the dagger while swinging the one in her right, chopping into the alien's neck.
Maria immediately felt clear resistance. The layered folds around the alien's neck were far tougher than she had imagined, like overlapping layers of leather armor.
She did not panic. Pulling back her blades, she flipped and landed behind the alien.
The moment she touched down, she crossed her twin blades and struck both sides of the alien's neck.
Its broad, flattened shark-like head fell to the ground. Maria raised her left arm and discovered in surprise that the finely forged curved blade in her left hand had been chipped deeply from the earlier block.
Curiously, she picked up the dagger and found that it looked as though it had been forged from a single piece of smoking crystal. Tiny fragments constantly flaked from its edge and fell to the ground.
Maria decided to test the weapon's power. With a burst of speed, she rushed toward another alien.
A sweep of her curved blade severed the alien's arm. Then she raised her left arm and stabbed toward its neck.
The instant the dagger touched the alien's folded neck, Maria felt obvious resistance.
Her eyes fixed on the blade when she suddenly saw countless tiny fragments splinter from its edge and burrow into the wound.
Amid faint sizzling sounds, the alien revealed a pained expression before collapsing.
Maria picked up the dead alien's dagger and looked ahead, spotting an alien with eyes on either side of its cheeks charging rapidly at Nimrod.
She called out a warning. "His dagger..."
Before she could finish, Nimrod thrust his halberd, avoiding the twin daggers as its tip pierced the alien's head.
Nimrod knew that Flao Glass Blades were famed for their immense strength and sharpness, capable of piercing Plasteel. Unwilling to damage his weapon, he easily evaded the Flao's rapid pounce and killed him.
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