Chapter 1

A heavy, armored machine crawled through the forest under the evening sky. It sported a profile similar to that of a Scorpion, boasting a powerful 120mm smoothbore cannon attached to the rear, much like a scorpion’s tail. The machine had twin 7.62 mm cannons on both sides of its fuselage, with a large blade attached underneath each of the machine guns. It had eight legs, three on each side.

The machine stalked its prey. A boy sat in the front left seat. He had short brown hair, his eyes a shade of gold. He wore a bomber jacket with long pants and a set of sunglasses hanging from his right pocket. His hands held the control stick, which looked similar to a fighter jet’s. He pushed the stick, causing the enormous machine to crawl forward.

In the tight space, a girl sat to his right. She had her black hair tied into a twin tail, her dark red eyes observing the same screen as him. She wore a sleeveless white shirt, a jacket tied around her waist, and long blue jeans with some holes ripped into them. Her hands controlled the two front armaments, using the knife to cut open a path in the forest.

The vehicle didn’t have any windows. Instead, it had multiple cameras attached throughout its body, feeding visual information through screens attached to the interior. A far safer design compared to vehicles with large windows.

“I’m hungry…” Mia said all of a sudden.

Mirahida Hakade looked at her in surprise. His hand pulled back, returning the stick to a neutral position and stopping the vehicle's movements.

“Really…? Wait, didn’t you just eat?”

“That hamburger isn’t enough,” she groaned. “I need at least two. Maybe I need to call Ana and ask her to make me something.”

Hakade sighed, but he had come prepared. He locked the controls and pressed a button on his chair. The chair pulled back and turned to the right, allowing him to get out easily. He checked the vehicle’s refrigerator and threw some chocolate snacks at her. She caught them, albeit fumbling a bit.

“Thanks, Captain.”

“Yeah.”

Hakade returned to his seat. The dense forest prevented him from moving forward without Mia's help. He waited for her to finish snacking before continuing. After a while, they arrived at their destination.

An empty asphalt road running through the forest. It had been years since this area last saw regular traffic. It lay beyond the bounds of the walls, making it an undesirable place to be. But where humans find themselves not wanting to go, a different entity has no trouble being there.

“There,” Mia called out. “And just in time.”

“We would have gotten a better position had we not stopped.”

Mia pretended not to hear him. She directed her gaze at the lights that appeared in the distance. A convoy of armored trucks. Unlike regular trucks, their driver cabs didn’t have any humans in them. Instead, a group of humanoid robots powered by AI stood on guard.

In front, a tracked Armored Personnel Carrier led the group. Three trucks in total, accompanied by an eight-wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which didn’t carry any infantry, and two tanks. Thanks to the heavier APC, IFV and tanks, the convoy moved slowly.

“I’ll take on the APC; you destroy the three trucks.”

His vehicle, nicknamed Scorpion, was considered a tank, thanks to its heavy armament and thick protection. Its eight legs allowed extreme maneuverability when compared to the traditional tracked tanks that their enemy operated, although fixing it took more effort.

Ana had applied a magic shield, but she had stayed back with the train. Scorpion should be able to take two hits from those tanks, but any more and they might be screwed.

They didn't prioritize the two tanks, as the terrain provided them with protection. At the same time, if Hakade left the rearmost tank operable, the convoy might retreat, not something he wanted to happen.

“Use the mortars to damage the rearmost tank, then we’ll reposition for a better angle.”

“We have four shots.”

“That should be enough.”

Tanks didn’t typically carry mortars. It wasn’t there when Hakade received Scorpion. He installed it himself.

The two machine guns pivoted, aiming toward the trucks. Hakade locked in the approaching convoy. The 120mm cannon followed where his helmet pointed; a dot on the screen showed him a prediction of where the round would land. He waited as the convoy came closer and closer.

“Confirm no human target in their midst?”

“Confirm none.”

“Alright.”

The shape grew larger. They would soon spot him.

“Now.” He pulled the trigger.

A single Armored-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot tore through the skies. The shell smashed into the side of the APC, turning it into a ball of flames. The convoy pulled to a halt. A rain of machine gun fire ripped through the trucks’ weak armor. Mia cut down the trucks’ occupants.

Behind, the IFV tried firing at the target, but its sight was blocked by the burning wreckage of the truck in front of it. Mia switched weapons and fired all four mortar rounds at the rearmost tank. The mortars send shrapnel all over, striking the tank and damaging its tracks. It couldn’t move.

Hakade fired off smoke grenades and retreated. The IFV’s computer must have realized that the truck in front of it was no more, as it began firing through the smoke, trying to get a hit. But by then, Scorpion had already retreated. It moved through the trees. Its large legs stomped on the ground, racing toward its next spot.

Bullet fire cut through the trees. Leaves and branches falling from the sky. Some landed above Scorpion, but Ana's magic armor prevented them from making even a scratch. Hakade looked up and yanked the control stick, throwing Scorpion away from a falling tree. Using the fallen tree, Scorpion jumped up. From behind the smoke cover, he could see the heat from the IFV’s gun. He fired. The round struck, and it exploded. Two more to go.

The tanks noticed and opened fire. The first shot missed, slamming into a tree behind them, but the other one struck. Magic shields tend to be resistant to physical attacks, but a shot from a powerful tank could greatly reduce their strength.

He dodged to the side, successfully evading another volley. The unending barrage of bullets continued. The tanks tried firing at Scorpion using their machine guns. Some hit, but Hakade wasn’t too concerned with small arms fire, as long as the tanks didn’t use it to pinpoint his position.

He continued moving, the boom of tank shells all around him. He switched the view to infrared. He could tell his enemies’ location based on the heat signature. He threw Scorpion in the air, jumping right behind the second tank. Scorpion fired from point-blank range, causing a huge explosion. The second tank was now truly stuck. It tried to move forward into the forest, but its slow movements didn’t help it. Scorpion's autoloader loaded a fresh shell into its cannon, and Hakade fired the finishing shot.