Inside an expansive forest that stretched out for kilometers, with tall trees spread across it that swayed slightly under the cool morning breeze. Patches of sunlight broke through the canopy, scattering across the mossy ground.

Whoosh!

Dark silhouettes darted between thick trunks, barely making a sound except for the faint crunch of dry leaves under their boots. The ECHOs moved in coordinated fashion, their dark armor blending them seamlessly into the shadows of the trees.

The hundreds of ECHOs finally surrounded the human stronghold that was taken over by the Chimerians less than a month ago.

Their comms crackled to life, as they all heard Arthur's command that came through it.

"Remember, don't engage the commander but take down anyone else inside. They're cornered, without any way out, so be cautious to face desperate retaliation."

There's also another matter, the Chimerians trapped could be suicidal and try to blow up the base with them inside. So the UFE had taken precautions this time, and attached a beam receiver in the new armors of the ECHO's to teleport them into the Vanguard floating in the planet's atmosphere directly in case of emergency.

He continued, "Your armor's beam receivers will pull you to the Vanguard instantly if you trigger it. Don't hesitate to use it if I give the word."

The ECHOs nodded their heads, engaged their cloak and silently approached the base.

…

The stronghold sat ahead, half-hidden in the treeline. What was once a UFE outpost now had the jagged additions of Chimerian engineering.

Arthur broke from the group, angling toward the south gate. He crouched outside the gate and used Technopathy to hack into the base's system. A second later the heavy metal doors slid open with a low groan, without issuing any alarm.

The two Chimerian guards stationed there turned instantly, startled by the motion. They opened their mouths to alert the others, only to freeze mid-breath as an unseen force gripped them. A faint crack echoed as Arthur snapped their neck using Telekinesis, and their bodies slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Without a word, more ECHOs filtered inside in squads of five, splitting into different corridors. Arthur glanced once toward them and nodded towards his team, then slipped away in the direction of the command room alone.

…

Inside the Eastern Wing of the Base

Leo, Elena, Samir, and two other ECHOs moved down a wide, and dim corridor. Their boots were silent, the only sound in their ears was their own breathing. They checked corners methodically, scanning for movement.

Just then they heard heavy footsteps approaching them from one of the corridors ahead. Leo stopped and raised a hand, and the others quickly came to a stop and waited for the Chimerians to arrive.

They first saw their shadows ahead as ten Chimerian soldiers emerged and would likely jog past them, their weapons slung on their back but ready. Leo had a glint in his eyes and gave a signal to the others to attack at the same time.

Though they were cloaked they could still see an outline of their allies, so the others got his signal. After waiting until the Chimerians were just about to pass, they acted.

Chi coursed through their bodies, an electric warmth flooding their muscles. Their swords, forged from the exotic metal Arthur had given them, vibrated faintly as they channeled Chi through the blades.

Leo lunged first, his cloak peeling away as he drove his blade forward into the back of the nearest Chimerian. The strike punched straight through armor and out the chest, the soldier collapsing before he could even make a sound.

To his left, Elena's sword thrust upward under a soldier's chin guard, piercing through the helmet. Samir swung in a wide arc, cleaving into a Chimerian's side and dropping him instantly. Two more ECHOs took down their targets with clean, controlled strikes that decapitated them, five bodies dropped on the ground simultaneously before the rest even realized what happened.

The remaining Chimerians, feeling something was amiss, stopped and turned around, but it was too late. One barked a sharp order in their guttural tongue, and rifles came up in unison.

"Scatter!" Leo called.

Blaster fire lit the hall in stuttering bursts. Leo ducked low, feeling the heat of a bolt skim his shoulder before he closed the distance to another soldier. His sword flashed in a short, precise arc that split the Chimerian into two.

Samir stepped into a shot, letting it glance off his armored forearm before ramming his blade through his opponent's gut. He twisted once before yanking it free.

On the right flank, Elena dodged sideways, letting a blast punch into the wall behind her. She slid inside the soldier's guard, thrusting her sword clean through his chest plate.

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The last two Chimerian tried to backpedal seeing they couldn't win, while firing wildly. One of the ECHOs caught one of the soldier's wrists, twisting it sharply until the rifle clattered to the ground, then ran him through the side wall in one smooth motion. While the other one was taken care of by the other ECHO.

Leo exhaled, scanning the hall. "Clear."

Elena checked her sword for damage before sliding it back into its sheath. "Too easy," she murmured in a low voice but with a slight edge in it.

"Don't get cocky," Samir said, wiping Chimerian blood off his blade. "This was just the patrol."

Leo gave a short nod. "Then let's move. We can't let Arthur have all the fun."

The team reengaged their cloaks and vanished back into the corridors.

…

A few minutes later, the command room was quiet except for the faint sound of heavy breathing and the slow drip of blood onto the metal floor.

A Chimerian commander was on his knees in the center of the room, his armor fractured in several places, sections hanging loose or missing entirely. One eye lens on his helmet was shattered, the other was missing entirely. His breathing came in ragged, wet gasps, each one leaving a fresh smear of blood across his broken mouthguard.

Arthur stood a few steps away, in a calm posture, his visor reflecting the defeated figure before him.

The commander lifted his head just enough to look at him. His voice was hoarse, but there was venom in it.

"You monster… your time has come to die."

Arthur tilted his head slightly, the faintest trace of a smile behind the visor.

"Is that so? I'll be waiting, then."

The Chimerian gave a low, pained laugh that turned into a cough. He spat blood to the side before forcing the words out.

"You don't know who you're up against… He is coming…!!"

Arthur's expression didn't change, but his mind filed the words away.

The commander's hand shifted toward his back, Arthur didn't move to stop him. From a sheath, the Chimerian drew a short, curved dagger. And without hesitation, he drove it straight into his own chest.

The commander's body shuddered once, then he slumped forward onto the ground, the weapon still lodged in place.

Arthur stood there for a moment, watching silently. He knew the Chimerians were not the root of all this, they themselves were just pawns, victims of a being with immense power. The man at his feet had chosen to die on his own terms, so he let the commander die with dignity.

Arthur sighed slowly. In his own way, letting the commander do it felt like the smallest form of respect he could offer.

He stepped past the body, the blood pooling at his boots. His visor reflecting the sorry state of the command room.

As he reached the doorway, he thought about the words 'He is coming.' Whoever "he" was, Arthur knew the threat wasn't far.

It was time for him to fast track his hunt for the being, but he wasn't sure if he was ready. If he was being honest, he knew he wasn't strong enough yet. But that just meant one thing, he'd have to work harder.

Without another glance back, Arthur left the command room.

…

UFE High Command Meeting Room

Many light-years away, deep within a fortified orbital station. There was pin drop silence in the meeting chamber of the UFE High Command, with only the sound of breathing could be heard.

The massive oval table, made from polished wood, was surrounded by the top brass of humanity, generals, and high-ranking intelligence officials. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the main screen dominating the front wall.

On one side of the display was Arthur's image. On the other side, lines of speculative data scrolled past, estimated speed, impact force, energy output etc. Some of the numbers seemed absurd, even to the veterans in the room.

The recording they had just finished watching played again and again in their minds, they saw Arthur tear apart Chimerian battleships and even come out unscathed from an antimatter bomb.

For several seconds, no one spoke. Finally general Garreth Morales broke the silence by clearing his throat, drawing everyone's attention without looking away from the display.

"Just as I thought… he is quite capable."

His tone was steady, but he was sweating inwardly. He hadn't expected this, Admiral Kane had never briefed him on Arthur's true potential, and Morales now felt a sharp relief that he'd chosen to back Arthur, even if it was for political leverage rather than oppose him outright. That decision, he realized, might have saved his career… or his life.

Across the table, General Cassian Rourke leaned back in his chair.

"Be real, Morales. You're telling me you saw that coming? A single man dismantling warships like they were made out of cardboards without any support? If you did know, why didn't you share this little gem of intel with the rest of us?"

Morales met his rival's eyes but didn't take the bait.

"I didn't think the specifics were necessary at the time."

Rourke scoffed under his breath, the sound sharp in the quiet room.

Before the tension could rise further, General Saavedra leaned forward, her hands clasped on the table.

"Now now… This isn't the time to fight amongst each other."

Her voice carried across the room, and the others shifted their attention to her. Then, as if recalling something, her expression lit up.

"Arthur trained the ECHOs in that… Chi technique, didn't he? The one he demonstrated before?"

A ripple of excitement passed through the room. Several glanced toward the screen again.

"Then that means..." she gestured at Arthur's image, but didn't continue further.

No one answered immediately, but the implication was clear. They previously thought this Chi training would at best boost the ECHO's strength a few times, not what they are seeing right now.

If what they witnessed is due to Chi then that means the other ECHOs also have the capability to become this strong, and this way the strength could be controlled by them.

General Hoshino finally spoke. "Then we should increase security around this technique. If any of our enemies got hold of this, it could be disastrous."

There were murmurs of agreement around the table, as the others nodded hearing that.

Morales leaned back slightly, still watching the numbers scroll beside Arthur's photo and sighed in relief.

The conversation shifted into quiet, intense discussion, deployment strategies, oversight committees, and how to handle Arthur himself. But under all the careful planning was the same unspoken truth running through each of their minds.

They are witnessing the moment which would lead to humanity's military balance shift forever.

***

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