War Beast

Book Four: Chapter 10

The cavernous chamber shook with the thunderous clash of slashes and punches on metal as Huntar, Zena, and Torag fought with everything they had against the towering mech suit piloted by Walter. The sleek, titanium armor deflected their blows with seemingly effortless ease, its servo motor whirring as it launched a relentless barrage of attacks in return.

The other Beastmen stayed back to avoid the other battle. Maybe most of them feared the mech monster.

Huntar rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a scorching energy blast that seared the ground where he'd been standing moments before. He could feel the intense heat singeing his fur as he regained his footing, his golden broadsword held aloft, ready to strike.

Across the chamber, Zena darted in and out of range with blinding speed, her legs a blur of motion as she launched a flurry of strikes against the mech's armored chassis. Each blow reverberated through the chamber with a deafening clang, but the suit's reinforced plating held firm, shrugging off her attacks with ease.

Torag charged forward with a bellowing roar, his immense bulk slamming into the mech with the force of a freight train. The suit staggered under the impact, but Walter's deft piloting kept it upright as he retaliated with a fierce volley of punishing blows that sent the rhino-man skidding across the chamber floor.

"You can't win this, you primitive beasts!" Walter's voice boomed from the suit's external speakers, laced with arrogant disdain. "Surrender now, and I'll make sure your deaths are swift and painless."

Huntar's eyes narrowed with grim determination. He knew their situation was dire, but he refused to give up––not when the fate of their world hung in the balance. With a feral roar, he charged forward, his blade flashing in a deadly arc as he sought to exploit any weakness in the mech's defenses.

Nearby, Jenny's fingers flew across the console's holographic interface, her face etched with intense concentration as she fought to activate the Transgate. Sweat beaded on her brow, her heart pounding with a mixture of adrenaline and fear as the battle raged around her.

"Come on, come on..." she muttered under her breath, her eyes scanning the flickering readouts with frantic urgency.

A sudden flare of light caught her attention, and she turned to see the shimmering outline of the blue portal flicker into existence within the Transgate's ring. A triumphant smile broke across her face as she realized her efforts had succeeded.

"Huntar! Zena! Torag!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the din of battle. "The Transgate is open! You and the others have to go now!"

Huntar's head whipped around at the sound of her voice, his eyes locking onto the shimmering portal that promised their escape. With a wordless roar, he signaled to his companions, and the beasts made a break for the Transgate, their movements a blur of speed and desperation.

But Walter was not about to let them escape so easily. With a guttural snarl, he maneuvered his mech suit into their path, its massive bulk blocking their route to freedom. A hatch opened on the suit's shoulder, and a fearsome array of weaponry unfolded, their barrels trained squarely on the trio.

"You're not going anywhere," Walter growled, his voice dripping with malice. "You're all my specimens!"

Huntar skidded to a halt, his eyes narrowing as he sized up the formidable obstacle before them. He knew they couldn't win in a head-on confrontation, not against the mech suit's overwhelming firepower.

Gripping his sword tightly, he prepared to make one last desperate charge, when a blur of motion caught his eye. Jenny was striding towards them, her body aglow with an otherworldly radiance that bathed the chamber in shimmering white light.