Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided

Rhok stood before the towering war machines, each painted in his favourite colour — black. His striking gaze swept upward, taking in the formidable sight of his six 10-meter-tall combat machines. Identical in design, their sleek black frames bore a striking white eagle emblazoned on their chest armour plates — a symbol of his unit's precision and lethality. Thanks to the thrusters integrated into his personal armour, Rhok could switch between any of these Armatus units effortlessly. However, his designated primary machine now featured the newly installed Ionised Mark V blade, a weapon designed to give him the edge in close combat.

Not that it truly mattered, he thought. His enemies — Osten's Arcanii — would be pitted against a barrage of bullets, plasma, and ionised beams. The Arcanii might wield their mysterious spells, but their knowledge of Dunkelheit's Armatus technology was as limited as Dunkelheit's understanding of magic. In the end, it all came down to firepower.

***

Seated comfortably in the cockpit of his Armatus, located within the torso of the massive war machine, Rhok leaned back and listened attentively to the global broadcast from the Empress of Dunkelheit. The soft glow of his blue HUD display illuminated the sharp contours of his face, casting shadows in the dimly lit control room.

The broadcast screen came alive with the image of the Empress — a bewitching fox Wildren whose beauty was both mesmerising and intimidating. She wore an intricately embroidered white dress adorned with golden accents, layered with a shimmering silver cape that matched the silver hue of her cascading hime-cut hair, which flowed gracefully to her lower back.

At the centre of her chest rested a dazzling blue jewel, an emblem of her high nobility. Despite her 99 years, her features remained youthful, and unweathered over time. Her almond-shaped eyes were a striking contrast: the left sparkled with a golden brilliance, while the right gleamed an intense blue. Adding to her otherworldly aura, her fox ears perched atop her head like a regal crown, signifying her Wildren heritage. Her beauty was unparalleled, transcending even the goddess of beauty herself.

Nohrell stood before a grand podium in the vast throne room, her presence commanding reverence even through the broadcast. Her voice was steady yet infused with authority. "Citizens of Dunkelheit, loyal subjects of the empire, Armatus knights of all ranks, I address you today with pride and resolve. From the highest spires of our cities to the farthest reaches of our borders, your dedication fortifies the spirit of our great nation…"

Rhok, however, barely paid attention to the Empress's eloquent words. Impatient with the details of his mission, he fidgeted with a digital-ink photograph. The image depicted a little girl and his wife, both sharing the same dark hair and deep, soulful eyes. Rhok's dark brown hair set him apart from them, but the bond in the photo spoke volumes of a time that once held joy. His thumb grazed the edge of the image, a rare moment of vulnerability, as he wiggled his nose absentmindedly.

The Empress's words washed over him, blessing the Armatus knights and wishing them well in their endeavour. To Rhok, the speech was nothing more than noise. He didn't fight for blessings or goodwill — he fought exclusively for revenge. His jaw tightened, and his dark eyes burned with hatred. The only thing that fueled him now was the promise of seeing every Arcanii or mage eradicated. Only then, perhaps, would he feel a reason to keep on living.

"Alright, Commander Rhok! Your mission details are here," came a crisp, professional voice over the cockpit speakers. The female coordinator's video feed blinked to life on his HUD screen.

A malicious grin began to spread across Rhok's lips, his mind now singularly focused. The hunt was on.

***

The mechanical hatch door of the cruiser groaned open as hydraulic compartments hissed, releasing the steel giants into the atmosphere from 10,000 metres above the ground. Their jetpacks hummed to life, thrusters glowing red as they slowed their descent. Rhok's squad, with a maximum of six Armatus suits that he could control, touched down with precision. The silver knights, capable of piloting four suits with full manual combat capacity, followed their commander.

"Command Wagner, this is Silver Knight Daniel Asher, Div 101, happy to serve under your division once again, sir!" a voice crackled through the comms.

"Welcome aboard!" Rhok replied, giving a thumbs-up with one of his Armatus as they ripped through the clouds, watching the terrain below grow larger as they descended.

"If it's alright with you, sir, we'll hit garrison 0132X near Helm City, it's the closest to our position," Daniel suggested, enthusiasm in his tone.

"Garrison 0132X it is!" Rhok agreed, altering their course from a vertical drop to a horizontal thrust, heading directly toward the enemy base. As the Armatus suits shifted into a swift horizontal formation, the engines vibrated, roaring as the thrusters blasted against the air resistance.

"How would you like to do this, sir?" Daniel asked, his voice attentive.

"Full offence, minimum time spent," Rhok responded coolly.

"Fu~Full offence, sir?" Daniel's voice hesitated, "But this is just the outer rim of Germund, they couldn't have Stellius mages or even... Lunaris!"

"What the hell are you talking about, silver?" Rhok barked, raising an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the Arcanii's terminology.

"Oh, uh, to put it in layman's terms," Daniel stammered, "Stellius mages are roughly equivalent to silver knights, while Lunaris mages are closer to gold in terms of power."

"I see. In our ranks among Armatus knights, we have iron, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and then the Astral Empress herself above all…" Rhok replied, understanding the comparison.

"Yes, sir. In Osten's mages, they've got Novitcius, Stellius, Lunaris, and Celetius," Daniel continued, his tone now more scholarly, obviously a geek for arcane lore.

"They really do love their big words, don't they?" Rhok teased, a grin crossing his face as his sharp eyes swept the terrain below. The two squads of Armatus knights sliced through the air, reaching speeds over 300 kilometres per hour.