The out-of-control mech "Guardian"

The two Iron Guards explored in the direction the girl had pointed. According to her, Belle had split up with them ten minutes earlier to help a panicked victim who was running around aimlessly.

After further calculations and scans, Fairy also picked up an extremely faint life signal. Her estimates indicated a very high probability that this life signal belonged to Belle.

Every Iron Guard without an escort assignment was now heading toward the location of that life signal, and these two were the closest.

They rapidly closed in on the target along an almost straight path, but just as they were about to reach the signal's location, an enormous shadow suddenly loomed over their heads.

Fairy: "Warning. A military-vehicle-class identification signal has been detected approaching at extreme speed. Please..."

"Boom!!!"

Amid Fairy's belated warning, a massive, somewhat outdated military machine slammed down between the two Iron Guards.

Upon detecting the machine's signal drawing closer from above, the Iron Guards swiftly dodged, leaving the huge mech between them.

The systems of the out-of-control military mech "Guardian" quickly recovered from the impact of landing. The treads beneath its feet engaged, and it attacked with both arms while reversing.

The large-caliber thermal cannon on its right arm and the high-powered rocket pod on its left each aimed at an Iron Guard and opened fire.

The Iron Guard on the left fared well, narrowly dodging the incoming rockets. But the Iron Guard on the left failed to dodge the faster fusion thermal beam. It struck him in the chest and blasted him away on the spot.

Guardian pressed its advantage. After temporarily dealing with one, it brought all its firepower to bear on the other Iron Guard...

As for the Iron Guard blasted away, he smashed through two brick walls before crashing into a pile of crates, sending up thick clouds of smoke. The independent system inside him was also working rapidly.

"Warning. Iron Guard 813 has sustained a frontal artillery hit. Assessing damage... Received an expression of concern regarding damage from client 'Fairy'..."

The Iron Guard lying amid the debris slowly climbed to his feet, his movements noticeably stuttering. The alloy casing on the front of his torso glowed red-hot and was slightly deformed.

The protective paint and identification number originally marked on his chest had been completely stripped away by that attack. In short, he looked badly damaged, but the actual damage was not that severe.

"Assessment complete. Summary: total frontal armor damage at 42%; damage to the impact zone on the chest at 82%; skeletal structure damage at 12%; minor or moderate deformation detected in multiple joints; power system affected, output reduced by 8%..."

He straightened up and waved a hand to disperse the smoke and dust. Looking around, he found himself in a narrow lane surrounded by nothing but wreckage and scattered building materials.

After uploading his condition to the central system, the Iron Guard intended to continue the search-and-rescue mission. As for his companion who was taking a beating, he did not need his help. Reinforcements were already on the way, and with some care, he would not break down that quickly. The mission still took priority.

Standing in place, he restarted the positioning system that had just been forcibly knocked offline. As he checked it, the sound of metal hitting the ground abruptly came from behind him.

Startled, the Iron Guard whipped around. All he faced was a wall and an iron pipe that had fallen to the ground and was bouncing from the impact.

Puzzled, he looked up and met two dumbfounded, frozen faces. One of them still had half her body leaning out, her hand extended downward as though grasping at empty air.

"H-hello?..." After everyone remained frozen for two long seconds, Belle drew back a little and waved in greeting to cover her embarrassment.

Iron Guard: ?...!!

"Attention. Iron Guard 813 has located target 'Belle.' Information sent. Recipient has received it. Mission updated: protect target and await reinforcements..."

As his internal system worked, the Iron Guard suddenly flew up, rising into the air to their level in an instant. This immediately frightened Belle and the girl beside her into standing up and backing away repeatedly.

The girl was so frightened that she kept Belle in front of her as a shield. Belle also watched the Iron Guard nervously and fearfully as his chest slowly turned from red to black, afraid he might not be a good person and might hurt them.

"Citizens, please do not panic. I mean you no harm. I am Iron Guard 813, a bodyguard robot from Hongke Unlimited Company." The Iron Guard landed and identified himself.

"I am carrying out my company's Hollow rescue mission while also fulfilling our rescue cooperation obligations under a special agreement with Public Security. I will take you out..."

The Iron Guard spoke, but before he finished, his entire body paused briefly. Then, before Belle could react, he suddenly lunged in front of them, scooped them up around their waists, slung them over his shoulders, and started running.

Alarmed by his sudden actions, Belle cried, "Wait, what are you doing?! Put us down!"

Ignoring the two struggling girls, the Iron Guard kept running. Then came the dull thud of something heavy landing.

Belle looked up and saw a Guardian land where they had just been standing, with several Iron Guards still clinging to its body.

The Iron Guards' reinforcements had arrived.

Guardian had no time to attack the three rapidly retreating figures. Instead, it drove its treads and rotated its body, trying to shake off the Iron Guards clinging to it.

An Iron Guard used his thrusters to reach the top of its head, then seized the automatic machine gun above it as it continued firing. With a series of forceful tugs, he ripped the entire machine gun off.

Before he could make another move, it jettisoned the rocket pod mounted on its left arm. Its freed mechanical arm reached upward, grabbed the Iron Guard on its head before he could dodge, and flung him away with a violent swing.

But then Guardian received a system alert from its right leg, and the leg suddenly lost power.

An Iron Guard had pried open a section of armor over its leg joint, thrust his hand inside to make contact with the circuitry, and released a current specifically designed to target mechanical constructs, paralyzing one of its mechanical legs.

Guardian, whose movements already carried considerable momentum, immediately lost its balance when its right leg abruptly stopped. Its entire body toppled forward, landing against an abandoned truck.

Seizing the opening, an Iron Guard clinging to its right arm increased his strength and hammered the fusion thermal beam emitter with his iron fist.

Delivering several punches a second, he broke an opening in the armor at the base of the barrel, then pulled several cables out from inside and tore them apart.

As the cables snapped, the status icon for the fusion thermal beam emitter went black in Guardian's onboard system. It had lost all its means of ranged attack.

The Iron Guards continued attacking Guardian, and more and more Iron Guards arrived in succession. Guardian, which had only one mechanical arm left to resist with, was completely wrecked under their combined assault.

An Iron Guard covered in damage stood atop the shattered Guardian, holding the intelligent core he had just pulled out of its body.

Ether crystals clung to parts of the core, both inside and out. It seemed this was what had caused it to go out of control.

The Iron Guard also received instructions from their employer through Fairy. He would have to bring this thing out with him afterward as well.

Only after the dust had settled here did Eous arrive at the scene, carrying an Iron Guard.

Eous (Wise): "I didn't expect to get a commission done on the way to rescue Belle. Good thing we arrived in time. It would've been bad if it had set its sights on her."

"...Bzzzt... Hey, bro, can you hear me? Hello?"

After a brief burst of static, Belle's voice suddenly came through Fairy's communications network.

Wise: "Belle, we can hear you. Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Belle: "I'm fine, bro. Not a scratch."

Wise: "As long as you're all right. I was worried sick about you."

Belle: "Oh, okay, okay. But what's going on over on your end?"

Wise: "Huh? My end?"

Pressing a hand to the earpiece the Iron Guard had just given her, Belle glanced at the Iron Guard ahead carrying the girl who had fainted from fright. Several more Iron Guards surrounded them protectively as she said:

"I mean all these people you called in to rescue us. Since when did you have connections like these, bro?"

Wise: "I'll let Fairy explain that one. All that matters is that you're safe. I still need to finish the commission before you get out so I can come pick you up."

Belle: "What, a commission too? When did you take that, bro?"

Wise: "When you stole my car keys to go pick up stock."

Belle: "Oh, so it was that guy Shepherd. What commission did he give you, dear brother?"

Wise: "Clearing out out-of-control mechs. Like the one that nearly hurt you just now. But there might be a few more like it to deal with..."