"Large-scale quantum communication network detected."
"Error."
"Recalibrating data."
"Information acquisition complete."
"Relocating data source."
Countless streams of data flashed before G-3300's eyes.
The Man of Iron's processing power was soaring.
The surrounding space teemed with bizarre quantum signals, their numbers increasing at an incomprehensible geometric rate.
Yet the instant every data channel returned its results...
G-3300 received an unusual response.
"Data tags confirmed."
"Signal source: same-frequency combat unit—G-3300."
Within the Lupercal Court, every machine body briefly paused at once.
"Performing cross-validation."
"G-3301 reports identical results."
Hundreds of machine bodies synchronized their information states with one another, then confirmed a peculiar phenomenon.
Countless instances of themselves seemed to exist simultaneously in this stretch of space, all running the same processes.
Others might have sought an explanation.
But the Men of Iron would not.
The appearance of unlimited same-frequency units made every Man of Iron increasingly agile. Processing power was shared, and battle plans were continually cross-checked.
Amid the settling dust...
Horus stood where he was, his body covered in wounds, seemingly oblivious to everything.
The explosion, composed of conventional energy, psychic power, and time, had indeed damaged Horus's body—or rather, struck the "threads" entangled behind him.
Now it was his turn to weaken.
The Warmaster found this uncomfortable.
He tried to tug at time and restore his injuries.
But he did not know that, because of his two brothers, he could no longer do so.
"I repeat, we are nine hours out. Spreading into wide formation, deploying to attack positions, inbound. Terra control, acknowledge. Acknowledge."
"Repeat, we are nine hours out. Terra control, we need immediate tracking guidance. Light your beacons. We are spreading into wide attack formation. Terra, maintain defensive posture. Hold. You only need to hold. Just hold."
"Repeat, we are nine hours out. Terra control, please