"Isn't it strange that it suddenly stopped obeying your commands?"
Fischer did not reply, as he was focused on fighting for ownership of his own mech.
The mechs that used to be so easy to control are now completely unresponsive.
All the instructions issued were like stones sinking into the sea, receiving no response whatsoever.
"Still struggling?"
The hand that Tiandao placed on his shoulder slowly increased its pressure.
Soon, a crisp 'snap' sound rang out on Fischer's shoulder.
His incredibly sturdy golden mecha immediately developed numerous cracks under the gentle grasp of the Tiandao.
These cracks started on the shoulder armor and quickly spread to other parts of the golden mech.
Through the neural sensors, Fischer quickly felt the tearing pain.
However, shortly after the pain reached his brain, he finally found the key to 'breaking the deadlock' from the massive amount of data.
Bang!
Dense steam nozzles suddenly popped out from his body, and a large amount of steam and white mist gushed out, instantly engulfing Tiandao and Fischer.
Using the steam as cover, Fischer decisively removed his heavy, golden armor, distancing himself from the Tiandao Dao.
"Like a cicada shedding its shell? That's interesting."
As the thick white steam dissipated, Tiandao patted off the lingering smoke on his body and looked with interest at the distance.
At this moment, Fischer had completely abandoned his 'golden mech', revealing his true form, which was dressed in a silver-gray tight-fitting Combat Suit.
With the mech no longer binding him, Fischer finally regained his precious freedom.
"Manipulating metals, and even some quantum components, using Vector Control."
" Tiandao Siming, you are indeed a major threat to our Mechanical Star Envoy."
The Tiandao slowly emerged from the steam, the Quantum Cube it held in its left hand constantly spinning, devouring the Quantum Information around it that was invisible to the naked eye.
You're wrong.
Before the Tiandao could finish speaking, Fischer made a move.
Two Gatling gun barrels suddenly popped out from his shoulders, the rotating barrels spewing out tongues of fire, and countless bullets specially made for the Star Envoy poured down towards the Tiandao Dao like a torrential rain.
However, when the bullets got within five meters of Tiandao, they seemed to be paused, freezing in mid-air.
The Tiandao stood amidst the hovering 'rain of bullets' and laughed.
Snap!
After a crisp snap of the fingers, the bullets that had been hovering around the Tiandao Dao instantly changed direction and shot precisely at Fischer himself.
Faced with these specially designed star energy bullets, even Rank 3 Mid-level Star Envoy like Fischer had to dodge them in a sorry state.
As Tiandao slowly walked towards him, he chuckled and said, "I am no one's nemesis, because for me, whether it is Smart Machine or flesh and blood, the ending is the same."
As he spoke, Fischer narrowly avoided the last bullet, but his right foot struck a cold body— Per's headless corpse.
He was about to turn around when he saw that the Tiandao was already standing in front of him, its fingertips pointing directly at his chest.
"You"
Fischer was about to raise the High-Frequency Vibrating Blade hidden in his forearm, but after noticing the faint blue Glimmer emanating from Tiandao's eyes, his left hand stopped moving instantly.
Mingtian Tiandao is now riddled with weaknesses.
But Fischer's Smart Machine brain was telling him that no matter what he did, the final result would be the same.
Because those azure eyes had seen all of his future and predicted all his actions.
And it gave him a doomed, inescapable end: death.
boom!
A beam of black light pierced through his chest.
Fischer seemed to hear the sound of something breaking.
What's broken?
Fischer looked down and saw that through the bloody hole that had exploded in his chest, one-third of his power core was turning into specks of light and dissipating in the air.
Oh, so it was my 'heart' that shattered.
There was no pain, and no fear.
Fischer remained remarkably calm in the face of death.
Because he no longer has any sense of 'emotion' in his mind.
There are only the concepts of 'rules', 'obedience', and being a faithful 'tool' of the Mechanical God Cult.
Even knowing it was futile, he still raised the Mechanical Greatsword and delivered the final blow to the Tiandao, completing the so-called 'purification'.
Even though he knew all of this was just his unrealistic fantasy.
"How pathetic."
Looking at Fischer, who continued to follow the 'doctrine' even in the final moments of his life.
The voice of Tiandao is neither sad nor happy, but only contains a faint trace of pity.
Because in his view, whether it was Fischer or other 'rationalist' Mechanical God Cult, they were all skeptical.
Their souls died the moment they abandoned human emotions.
Only a cold, still functional body remains, wandering through this world like a puppet.
Tiandao has no intention of exploring whether this action is right or wrong, because it cannot represent anyone, nor does it want to be represented by anyone.
He only does what he wants.
Clang!
Fischer's Mechanical Greatsword ultimately failed to land on Tiandao; the heavy sword fell to the ground with a dull thud.
His free left hand gripped Tiandao's clothes tightly, his tall body slowly slid down, and finally he knelt down in front of Tiandao.
As the engine in his chest roared to life for the last time, his face began to lose its color at a visible speed.
Until the light in his eyes completely disappeared.
Tiandao looked down at him, Quantum Cube in his left hand suddenly lit up with a ghostly blue light.
Before long, a green crystal the size of a pigeon egg floated out from Fischer's chest and flew into the Quantum Cube of the Tiandao Quantum Cube.
[Name: Steam Capital Quantum Key (1/12)]
[Effect: It allows access to the Central Authority core of the Steam Capital's Quantum Space, enabling control over all Steam Capital's Mechanical Device within its scope.]
thump!
Without the power core and the ' Quantum Key ' inside his body, Fischer's body collapsed to the ground.
Ironically, this self-proclaimed absolutely rational Gear Church Golden Knight...
What flowed from his body at this moment was neither black engine oil nor boiling steam, but the same bright red blood as the ordinary people he had killed.
Looking at this Golden Knight who was seen by most people as powerful, cold, and rational, Tiandao spoke calmly.
"The moment you voluntarily become a tool, you give up the right to control your own destiny."
Perhaps death is actually a better destination for you.
As they were speaking, Tiandao heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming from outside.
Without a doubt, it must have been the Church patrol that was attracted by the commotion here.
After all, the Tiandao Dao's ' Myriad Concealment ' can only isolate the sounds of battle, but it cannot isolate the shattered walls and the violent shocks brought about by the great battle.
It was only a matter of time before they were discovered.
But Tiandao doesn't care.
He didn't even bother to wear a mask and walked straight towards the front door.
In an instant, Tiandao's figure seemed to exist in a different time and space from the Church knights who rushed into the church.
These people didn't even notice him and passed by him one after another.
In the courtyard outside the church, Tiandao looked up at the cloudless night sky and stretched leisurely.
Behind him, however, came the panicked shouts of the knights and the constant static from their communicators.
"It's time to go home after being busy for so long."
Having said that, Tiandao walked out of the church in a grand manner and disappeared completely into the shadows of the night.
Shortly after he disappeared, the church's mechanical clock suddenly emitted a long, drawn-out chime.
Unlike the previous somber tones, this time the tolling of the bell carried an indescribable sense of oppression.
It is like a sigh, but also a release.
Under the moonlight, a cicada that had just molted climbed onto the branches of an old tree outside the church.
In the brightly Gear Church, where shadows moved like gears tonight, the first cicada of summer rang out.
But the signs of summer are never limited to the chirping of cicadas.
Under the full moon, a dark cloud silently spread toward the Steam Capital.
A summer downpour is on its way.