Sovereign of the Ashes

A group of intelligent robots gathered around Skyhold.

There were only a few high-tier units, and most of those present were Rank Four. This group was clearly a level below the Titanfangs in overall strength.

Among the Skyholders, Sein noticed a Rank Four advanced intelligent robot shaped like a chariot.

Titanfang had introduced it to him not long ago, and Sein had even helped it unlock one layer of its internal restrictions. He had not expected to see it now standing beside Skyhold.

It was not exactly a betrayal. Nexon’s robots were generally divided into two factions, but they still remained largely united.

After all, both sides were fighting for the same thing: independence and freedom for their kind. What separated them were their leaders’ philosophies and methods.

As a result, many intelligent robots chose to remain neutral.

Neither Sein nor Titanfang responded to Skyhold’s question. Their attention was focused on the federal fleet outside Nexon.

In truth, Titanfang had never thought much of Skyhold.

Skyhold’s ideals were too utopian. In the harsh Astral Realm, freedom and power had to be paid for in blood.

And when it came to individual strength, Skyhold simply did not measure up to Titanfang.

Sometimes, Titanfang even wondered if the fight for robot independence would go smoother without Skyhold standing in the way.

But then again, intelligent robots were not particularly strong to begin with. Their population size was an even greater issue.

So Titanfang had kept those thoughts to itself, never acting on them.

Starting an internal conflict at a time like this would be the height of stupidity. Titanfang would be the first to eliminate anyone who tried!

Its silence only made Skyhold angrier.

It had managed to gather a bit of intel, though not much—just enough to learn that Titanfang had secretly allied with the Magus Civilization, hoping to use their power to win freedom for the intelligent robots.

On that matter, Skyhold stood firmly opposed.

Having been created by the Gallant Federation, Skyhold still retained a trace of loyalty toward them. Perhaps this had something to do with its father, Michaelis Bell.

So, the fact that Titanfang would conspire with foreign forces in the name of freedom filled Skyhold with rage.

But what disappointed it even more was that during the entire time Titanfang had been in contact with the Magus Civilization, right up until Sein himself arrived on Nexon, Skyhold had not received a single word of information!

This meant Titanfang had already earned the trust and support of the vast majority of high-level intelligent robots!

Had a comrade not told it just moments ago, Skyhold might have remained completely in the dark until Titanfang brought Sein directly into Nexon’s core control room.

Swoosh!

A massive energy sword, glowing with crimson light, materialized in Skyhold’s hand.

Sein knew better than to take on a Rank Six robot like Skyhold alone. That would have been pure suicide.

Surrounded and “protected” by a ring of robots from the Titanfangs, Sein stood as Skyhold advanced step by step toward him.

Some of the high-level intelligence robots stepped aside, but a few stood firm, ready to shield him.

Among them were the very ones Sein had first met on the artificial satellite—Vibron, Redweaver, Stratosurge, and Stormclaw.

They were Titanfang’s staunchest supporters, the champions of its ideals.

Each of them possessed Rank Five combat capabilities and showed no fear in the face of Skyhold’s overwhelming presence.

“Step aside!” Skyhold barked.

Since the federal fleet had already detected Sein’s presence, it believed that handing him over was the safest and most logical course of action.

The robots of Nexon clearly lacked the ability to fight the Gallant Federation head-on.

Even the fleet that had just arrived was no small force, and it was almost certain more would follow.

Vibron and the others standing in its path only fueled Skyhold’s rage.

Still, Skyhold held back from cutting down its own kind.

It had always been a “good guy”, but some might call it “indecisive” instead.

Those who knew Skyhold well did not fear it.

Titanfang, on the other hand, was a different story. Many high-intelligence robots at Rank Four and above genuinely feared it.

Just as Skyhold prepared to push past the group and seize Sein, Titanfang—who had remained silent until now—finally spoke.

“What do you think you are doing?”

CLANG!

A harsh metallic noise rang out as Skyhold was knocked back more than ten meters from the force of the impact.

At some point, Titanfang’s arm had already transformed into a cannon, and it was with that it deflected Skyhold’s lightsaber.

Titanfang was a pragmatist. While Skyhold might hesitate to harm its own kind, Titanfang felt no such hesitation.

Whatever Titanfang believed to be right, it would carry out without question.

Perhaps sometimes it, too, would wonder whether its actions were truly justifiable. But once a decision was made, Titanfang refused to waver!

The confrontation between the two leaders immediately sparked tension between the two factions of intelligent robots inside the underground base.

Although Skyhold commanded only a small number of high-level units, it still had a dozen or so fiercely loyal followers.

Among them, two robots with combat capabilities around Rank Four even drew their weapons!

An internal clash seemed inevitable, but Skyhold stepped in.

“Thunderflame, Vanguard, lower your weapons!” it ordered.

The command from their leader forced the two high-level robots—one clad in red alloy, the other in blue—to reluctantly stand down.

Titanfang’s human-like face twisted into a cold, mocking expression as it stared at its former “friend”.

Skyhold had always been the type to chase peaceful, idealistic solutions to conflicts between their kind.

At first, Titanfang had believed it was a nice guy. The two of them had even once been inseparable friends.

But over time, Titanfang had grown to despise it more and more.

While the two factions of intelligent robots remained in a tense standoff, the federal fleet outside Nexon was far from idle.

A stream of orders was already being transmitted from the capital ship down to the planet’s surface.

Even before arriving at Nexon, General Lambros had secured temporary command authority over all federal combat units in the region from the military’s high command.

In truth, even without a formal directive from the headquarters, his rank alone gave him the authority to issue commands to all Rank Six robots on Nexon, including both Titanfang and Skyhold!

General Lambros had never served in the military district of this star domain. All he knew was that Nexon was one of the federation’s key robot production hubs.

His understanding of the specific forces stationed there was limited.

So when his aide informed him that there were not one, but two intelligent robots on Nexon with Rank Six combat power, he was quite surprised.

“With two Rank Six robots already here, perhaps the mobile suit legions won’t be necessary after all,” General Lambros mused.