Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided-Chapter 69: Foresight

Forest west of the dam, 15 minutes earlier.

The group of arcanists hurried through the forest, their boots shuffling erratically. Lupus and the Hoffmann mages led the way, while Triss and the Virgo mages followed closely behind.

Lunice, the eldest, surveyed the treeline. The area ahead had large trees and almost flat terrain — suitable for a skirmish. A hit-and-run tactic would give the mages an advantage, exploiting their smaller target size while the enemy suits would be exposed.

Nodding to herself, Lunice glanced back at her sister. "Lupy, we can set up our defensive perimeter here! Let's do a whack-a-mole... sort of..." She suggested, rolling her eyes at herself.

"Sure! Sister, Larry and Lenny, you two stay with Big Sis," Lupus ordered, her voice clear and crisp. Then she grabbed Frain by the shoulder. "Frain, you're with me ~ stay close!" She added, her expression serious.

"Mm, mm!" Frain hummed, nodding twice as she rested the head of her axe on the dirt, her hands gripping the pommel.

Soon, the distant hum of arcanite engines grew louder. Two allied vessels approached, the small bots descending smoothly to land. Hydraulic hissing filled the air as Friederich gracefully stepped out of the craft.

Meanwhile, the Silver Armatus patrolled the airspace, performing sentry protocol with weapons hot.

Lupus strode towards them just as Friederich helped his princess step down from the ledge. "Prime Guardian and Princess Aurelia, you're both safe!" The Wildren exclaimed with relief, seeing them unscathed.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Hoffmann," Friederich replied humbly before turning to the machine. "Thanks for the lift, Uncle," he added loudly, making sure his voice carried. Aurelia gave a quick nod before stepping away from the landing zone.

"Lupus, we'll regroup with you soon! Please don't go choking people with your thighs again!" Jack's voice came through the bot's speaker as it ascended to rejoin the Silver Armatus.

Lupus's ashen skin flushed crimson in an instant. "Why are you broadcasting that to everyone!?" She snapped, squeezing her eyes shut in embarrassment.

Now, everyone except Frain glared at Lupus with deadpan expressions.

"Oh, Holy Gaia! My bad! I'm in the middle~" Jack's voice was cut off as he engaged in another battle roughly fifty kilometres away.

"Focus, Jack!" Rhok's voice interjected, and silence followed.

Lupus shook her head and refocused on the matter at hand. She quickly recounted the plan to intercept the Armatus fleet in the forest for the late arrivals. Friederich listened intently, arms crossed, before adding a few points of his own.

"I think the Virgo Novitcius should be stationed over by the pine trees in the northeast," Friederich suggested, pointing. The high ground and dense canopy would provide an excellent vantage point where the Novitcius could offer healing support.

Lupus found herself agreeing. Not only did the elven boy have an angelic face, but he was also calm and calculating. "Yes, I agree. Let's tell Trissie," she said.

The Olympian mage spun on her heel, narrowing her eyes and singling out Triss among the group. "Ah! There she is!" Lupus murmured, spotting the girl kneeling in prayer on the ground.

As Lupus strode towards her, the others followed. Suddenly, Triss's eyes snapped wide open, staring into the distance. Her green irises shimmered under the sunlight, almost glowing on their own.

"Wah! Did she have a stroke?" Frain yelped, cupping her mouth in shock.

Immediately, Triss snapped out of her trance. Her eyes darted around before tears began streaming down her face. "The pain... the heat... It's terrible!" she cried out, clawing at her cheeks. Friederich rushed forward, steadying her.

"Terissa! Terissa! What's wrong? What did you see?" Friederich yelled, one arm holding her upright while the other gripped her wrist firmly.

Her gaze eventually met his, finding comfort in his piercing blue eyes. "The enemy! The light! They have a long-range attack! I saw the DebrisX crew decimated! Quick, you must warn David!" Triss screamed, her voice laced with fear.

Lupus was already relaying the warning. "David McDonald, come in! You need to pull out right now!" she barked into her comms.

"Miss Lupus? What's wrong?" David's voice crackled in response.

"Don't ask, just do it! Now!" she commanded.

David exchanged a confused look with the pilot before giving the order. After all, the bunny Wildren was his best friend's partner.

The spacecraft went full throttle, leaving a light trail as it streaked across the horizon. Soon, it disappeared into the clouds, descending below the troposphere. The DebrisX crew successfully regrouped at Hein's workshop, following their new instructions.

On the ground, Triss recounted her vision of the war machine to the rest. "...Please be careful of its range—it can strike precisely from an immense distance!" she warned, biting her lip nervously.

Friederich straightened his back with his usual grace. "Now we know what we're up against," He grumbled, calculating their next move.

Meanwhile, Rhok had been listening to the strange exchange over the comms. His rasping voice cut through the static. "Miss Triss, where did you see it? Can you locate it for me?"

He motioned for his Armatus to halt mid-air. Jack followed suit, hovering beside him.

"It's in the centre of town, I saw a grass field... Maybe it is somewhere inside the sports field," Triss replied promptly.

"Understood." Rhok turned halfway towards the city. "Jack, I'll intercept it, leave it to me," He said, his expression resolute.

"Are you sure? Do we even know what exactly it is?" Jack asked, uncertain about Rhok's plan.

"Yes... It's the latest model. Still in beta testing back then. We called it 'Lancer'." Rhok stated bluntly.

"Then I'm coming with you!" Jack declared.

"No!" Rhok's sharp tone was louder than intended. He pressed his lips into a thin line. "You'll only get in my way, newbie. I know exactly who's piloting that suit. He'll figure out soon enough that you're my liability."

Jack's expression darkened on the screen.

Sensing his distress, Rhok added, "Jack, you're a great pilot. Hell, you might even hit silver from the get-go. But... you're still no match for gold. Especially, Aurum Specter."

Jack fell silent as he reaccessed, realising just how formidable the gold knights were. Even with a single mobile suit, Rhok had taken down nearly twenty bronze pilots with ease.

"Alright! I'll rendezvous with the mages and support them instead!" Jack decided calmly.

Rhok didn't object, he found himself nodding slowly.

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A grin played on his lips. "Let's roll out!" Rhok urged before they parted, each heading in opposite directions.