Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 83. Steel Giants’ Practice

Somewhere in the forest southeast of the dam...

Jack sat in the cockpit, piloting the unpainted Armatus. He commanded the machine to step forward, the dirt yielding beneath the 20-ton mass of super duplex alloy. As he entered the clearing, he halted 20 metres away from an unfinished giant.

The plan for the day? Close-quarters combat training.

Rhok’s Armatus had a missing shoulder plate, its metallic surface scarred with wear and tear, as if fresh from battle. He stood still, his mecha towering over the treetops, his gaze lingering on the trembling leaves. In his mechanical hands rested a wooden plank, fashioned into a makeshift sword.

“Are you ready?” Rhok rasped, lifting his weapon to the front, his torso rotating slightly to face Jack.

“Yes!” Jack bellowed through the comm, mirroring Rhok’s stance.

“Fight, Jackie!~” Lupus cheered from the back of Frain, the lion Wildren, who was doing push-ups under the shade of a large oak tree. Nearby, Aurelia and Friederich lounged around a picnic, idly enjoying their snacks.

Rhok’s thrusters ignited, propelling his Armatus forward. He raised his sword and brought it down in a swift strike.

Jack reacted quickly, lifting his blade to block, but Rhok merely tapped it aside with calculated precision, twisting his weapon and jabbing at Jack’s chest.

Tap!

The wooden plank struck Jack’s cockpit. He stumbled back a step.

“You’re dead,” Rhok stated, hovering back into position.

“Damn! My sword skills are seriously lacking. My reflexes can’t keep up with his follow-up attacks at all,” Jack thought grimly.

“See what I did there? And here?” Rhok asked, swinging his blade in a quick, abrupt motion with almost no wind-up.

Jack analysed and responded, “The attack prioritises speed over force. You applied just enough power to deflect my sword before swiftly recovering and delivering another strike to a vital point.” His voice was husky and calm.

“Correct… You seem to understand the essence of fencing. On top of that, ionised blades will cut as long as there’s a slashing motion.”

“I get it now. I’ve been using my sword as a blunt weapon,” Jack muttered, recalling his past battles — where he’d relied on brute force, slamming his blade until the enemy’s arms buckled. He had thought it was an effective strategy, but what if he damaged his own Armatus in the process? Then he’d be the one in trouble.

“Now, it’s your turn to attack!” Rhok instructed, resuming his stance.

Jack grunted, flicking his fingers to activate the boosters. His hull jerked as the thrusters roared to life.

Whoosh!

His Armatus surged forward, turbulent winds swirling behind him. Within striking distance, he raised his blade and brought it down.

Tok!

Rhok blocked with his sword, then pushed forward, reclaiming his ground.

Jack’s eyes gleamed with excitement, unyielding. “Yaa!” he roared.

He slashed vertically, aiming for Rhok’s torso. Rhok boosted his Armatus, narrowly evading the strike, his Armatus tumbling and rolling to the side, the ground shaking violently from the impact.

On the sidelines, Aurelia gasped as her tea spilled, drippings on her hands. In response, Friederich swiftly handed her a napkin.

Jack seized the moment, bringing his sword up for another quick swing at Rhok’s head.

“What?!” Jack exclaimed as his blade sliced through empty air.

Rhok had ducked low and lunged forward, his blade tip aimed directly at Jack’s cockpit.

“Not so fast!” Jack yelled, rocketing skyward, barely avoiding the strike.

“Heh!” Rhok chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips. His fingers moved with mastery, engines screaming as his thrusters burned red and blue.

Tap!

Rhok swung at Jack’s leg. The hit connected, but Jack refused to back down.

“Now, my turn!”

Mid-air, he maneuvered skillfully, dodging Rhok’s relentless strikes. He parried and twisted his blade, finally managing to land a hit — his sword scraping Rhok’s shoulder.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Rhok’s eyes widened with excitement. Something within him reignited, a blazing fire from his days at the Knight Institute.

“Haaa!” Rhok roared, slashing fiercely. Jack parried, rotating his blade and driving it forward.

Rhok reversed instantly, dodging the attack. “Your aerial combat is commendable — interesting!” he mused aloud.

“What do you think? I trained in space!” Jack grinned, dashing in and sweeping his blade.

The aerial combat resembled cavalry battles, knights on horseback charging to deliver devastating blows.

“Then let me teach you something, Space Boy!” Rhok taunted, skillfully dodging Jack’s attack.

Suddenly, Rhok accelerated, arcing through the sky.

A thunderous roar erupted as his engines revved, sending tremors through the air, and—

Clank!

He rammed his Armatus into Jack’s, sparks flaring from the impact.

“AH!” Jack yelped as his cockpit shook violently.

Malice flickered in Rhok’s eyes, his smirk widening as he drove his wooden plank into Jack’s torso.

A grating noise echoed through Jack’s hull — like nails scraping against metal, mere metres from him.

Then, silence. Everything was stilled, except for Jack’s panting over the comms.

“You’re dead. Hehe,” Rhok rasped, his heart pounding as the adrenaline began to fade.

He pulled back, hovering in mid-air at a safe distance.

Jack chuckled, “Hehehe, you died first.”

“Oh…” Rhok blinked in confusion. He quickly pulled up his Armatus’s damage report. His HUD screen showed an impact on his shoulder — a split second before he had rammed into Jack.

“You poked me before I rammed into you?” the golden knight muttered, disbelief in his voice.

“Yes! When you lunged, I switched my grip into a reverse hold and stabbed your shoulder. If this were an ionised blade, it would have pierced straight through your hull,” Jack explained, holding up his sparring sword, now splintered from the impact.

“I see. Good job, good job,” Rhok acknowledged, nodding. That was so fast, I didn’t even register it, he thought.

Slowly, both pilots descended, their Armatus mobile suits touching down on solid ground once more.

***

Lupus’s eyes remained fixed on the two Armatus, alighting from the sky before she turned to Frain beneath her. “I can’t tell who’s winning or losing, but my neck is already sore. Ah!” she complained, rubbing her neck in discomfort.

As she pressed her palms firmly against the ground, arms straightening and legs fully extended, “...And 1000!” Frain exclaimed with joy as she pushed herself up. A sheen of sweat made her skin glisten, yet she showed no signs of exhaustion.

The bunny Wildren sprang to her feet, smiling at the girl. “Atta girl!” she praised, patting Frain’s blonde hair. The fluffiness felt soft to the touch.

Frain purred with content, then stood up, brushing grass and dirt off her hands and clothes.

Lupus and Frain approached Aurelia’s picnic. The red-haired girl scooted over, making space for them. “Come, you two,” she said, her tone lilting with glee as she patted lightly on the picnic mat.

“Thank you, princess.” Lupus sat down, facing the meditating guardian, whose eyes remained closed and unbothered. Frain crouched and settled between Lupus and Aurelia.

Aurelia pointed at the basket containing drinks. “Would you like tea or juice?”

“Carrot juice!” Lupus exclaimed, as excited as ever. Her nimble fingers reached straight for the basket.

“Ugh… We only have orange,” Aurelia frowned.

Lupus promptly replied with a toothy grin. “That’s fine!”

In an instant, Frain nodded eagerly.

The princess nodded and poured two cups, handing them over.

“Ah, thank you!”

“Thank you, princess!” Lupus and Frain received their drinks with a smile.

Their gazes shifted to the canopy, watching birds and squirrels move through the undergrowth. The peace was a welcome respite in times such as these.

After finishing her third sandwich, Lupus asked, “So, how’s Triss-y doing?” She glanced at Aurelia, who was fidgeting with a fiery butterfly she had conjured.

Frain, mesmerised by the arcane beauty, kept her gaze fixed on the glowing creature.

“I think she’s just overworking herself right now. A lot of people were injured during the attack… many lost their lives,” Aurelia replied solemnly, then sighed.

“Ah… I just thought, seeing the tranquil greenery like this, she’d definitely love it.” Lupus reached for another sandwich.

“The town needs her more than ever now. I can only wish for her and the Virgo mages to heal the townspeople… if only I could channel—”

Cough, cough!

Friederich suddenly coughed, cutting off her words. “As we have discussed before, we won’t do that ritual ever again. You must conserve your mana. Aurelia, stop playing with the butterfly,” he reprimanded, his voice stern.

His words also snapped Frain out of her daze. She shook her head slightly and took an awkward sip of her drink.

Aurelia scowled. “Whatever... killjoy,” she muttered, hugging her knees to her chest.

“We will only trouble you a little while longer, Miss Hoffmann. We’ll be departing for Porand soon,” Friederich said, nodding politely at Lupus.

She smiled timidly. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. It’s our pleasure.”

“I appreciate your hospitality, but one must not overstay their welcome.”

“May I ask why you’re heading to Porand?” Lupus asked, her long ears twitching with curiosity.

So, Jack hasn’t told her about our plan yet… Friederich noted to himself.

Aurelia opened her mouth to speak, but Friederich motioned for her to stop. “It’s classified,” he replied sharply.

“Ugh!” Aurelia rolled her eyes, pouting in frustration. Friederich shot her a brief glare before returning to his meditation with ease, his breathing steady.

Frain tilted her head in puzzlement. “What is he doing?” she asked, pointing at the elven mage, who was deep in concentration.

“Mana training,” Friederich replied softly, his eyes remaining closed.

Aurelia exchanged a faint smile with Frain before returning to their activities.

In the background, Rhok and Jack continued practising their sword techniques while the picnic group enjoyed their peaceful time together.