Chapter 213: Champion

"Uhh…uhh…"

"Howl—!"

More than ten marines steadily marched through the corridor inside Deimos.

The lights were dim, the metal walls and floor splattered with blood, chunks of flesh, and even claw marks; most unsettling was that the marines could faintly hear cries and wails.

The thought that this was still a confined massive space station, teeming with countless demon‑like creatures, would shatter anyone's nerves.

Yet the marines in the corridor felt no fear, because amid the cries and wails there were bursts of "bang! bang!" from the explosive rifles.

Listening to the reassuring gunfire, the marines followed the helmet displays and gradually approached the mission's objective—

a nondescript small warehouse.

Only the warehouse's metal gate had been smashed open, as if some creature had rammed it from outside with brute force.

The sergeant leading the marines went to the terminal beside the gate and broadcast, "UNSC Marine Corps!" to the interior of the warehouse.

When the words ended, "Tap tap!", the sound of combat boots on the floor echoed as the marines surged into the warehouse.

"Oh…my God, we're finally saved!"

"Thank you…thank you all…"

Upon entering, they saw a group of UNSC civilian personnel and many people who work and live on Deimos, who, visibly moved, left their hideout and gathered in the center of the warehouse to thank the marines.

In fact, before the marines arrived, the survivors first heard a chorus of demons screaming and bodies exploding outside the gate, and then the gate was ripped open by an Astate with brute force.

That left the survivors despondent, closing their eyes to await death.

Unexpectedly, the Astate spoke in a metallic voice, saying, "Please stay where you are and don't move," then turned and left the warehouse, while the corridor outside the gate kept echoing demon shrieks.

Before long, the "friendly" marines finally showed up.

The sergeant said, "This place isn't safe yet; come with us and leave."

The survivors naturally raised no objection, following the marines out of the shelter that had once given them a sense of safety, heading together to Deimos's dock.

The dock now serves as a temporary UNSC command post, with a Lieutenant Colonel dispatching numerous marine squads to scour Deimos and rescue survivors.

Communications have been restored, and with seventy Tuthmos sweep teams, the search and rescue operation proceeds smoothly.

Magnus did not join the sweep teams; he stayed at the dock to ensure all humans' safety and to await the incoming corporate support.

Even the Lieutenant Colonel does not know why Deimos suddenly fell into chaos, so Magnus could not learn the answer through inquiry.

Nevertheless, Magnus could still sense the demons' densest concentration, a place bristling with an irritating "restlessness," and he dispatched a Tuthmos "Champion" officer to investigate.

…

At this moment, at the other end of Deimos, in the passage leading to the secondary port.

An Astate wearing an all‑red helmet etched with gold thread, a right forearm gauntlet equipped with an energy wrist‑blade generator, and a left‑shoulder shoulder cannon, sprinted down the passage, rapidly approaching Deimos's secondary port.

He is the sole current officer of the Tuthmos Legion and also a "Champion."

As the definition of Champion goes, the officer is the top individual in every respect, surpassing all comrades except OriginalBody Magnus.

But the Champion title is not permanent.

In Tuthmos, an internal contest is held every year; if someone else wins, the officer loses the honor, and each legion has its own customs regarding when and how a Champion is chosen.

"Roar!"

At that moment, sensing the officer's approach, more and more demons surged into the passage.

And they were not the zombie‑like little fish or shrimp; they were muscular, blood‑red, gun‑wielding demons whose bodies were severely distorted.

Many of them seemed no different from demons straight out of hell.

In an instant, the MA series guns roared, a hail of projectiles whistling toward the officer.

Facing such fire, even UNSC elite clad in top‑grade armor would meet a gruesome death.

Fortunately, the energy shield generated by Thor Hammer III helped the officer deflect the assault.

Refusing to rely on the shield, the officer quickened his stride, closing the gap with the demons, while raising his left hand, the shoulder cannon's barrel flashing blue.

Afterwards…

"Ri~—whoosh!" A blue cannonball burst forth, blasting a demon.

"Pip!"

The officer's left hand emitted an even brighter red‑hued "Lightning," not only searing a demon but also chaining to grievously damage its nearby companions.

In less than a blink, the officer surged into the demon horde and swung his right hand violently,

"Pfft"—the unlucky demon's upper body was smashed.

"Buzz~!" A slender wrist‑blade materialized, its energy field a pink‑tinged red.

Coordinating the intermittent "Lightning" from his left with the swinging slender energy wrist‑blade in his right, the officer prepared to engage the demons in his specialty close‑quarters combat.

As mentioned earlier, each legion picks its Champion differently; for the Space Wild Wolves led by Rus, the wolves whose temperament matches Rus's—those who fight best and drink hardest—become the Space Wild Wolves' Champion.

Being part of Tuthmos requires both wit and bravery to earn the brothers' recognition.

The so‑called "wit" is deep knowledge and the degree of Spiritual Energy manipulation.

After all, every OriginalBody possesses pure Spiritual Energy untouched by alternate dimensions, so Astates implanted with G‑glands also acquire varying amounts of this pure Spiritual Energy.

The Champion officer of Tuthmos thus gains a substantial amount of pure Spiritual Energy, and with Magnus's tutelage can unleash Spiritual Energy attacks resembling lightning.

In contrast, the demons' side.

Seeing the officer, shorter than them, dare close‑quarter combat, they discarded their guns, ready to show the officer that their bodies are far stronger than any weapon.

Only…

"Buzz~—sting!"

The lithe officer darted among the demons, evading hammer blows, swinging his wrist‑blade, easily reaping those corrupted, fallen lives.

"Pip~—zz…"

The Spiritual Energy lightning not only fried the demons, leaving them raw inside and charred outside, and anyone watching could even smell the aroma of roasted meat.

Ri~—— Whoosh!

Adding a shoulder cannon capable of auto-aiming, the demon realized that not only did it not let the non-commissioned officer get a taste of its power, but instead it figured out why the non-commissioned officer didn't carry an explosive arrow gun...

Because the non-commissioned officer annihilates enemies in close combat, it's far more efficient than using an explosive arrow gun!

(End of chapter)