When the Ground Decides to Move
Axel was quiet in the way only lazy afternoons could be. The guild had thinned out, most adventurers either drunk, broke, or both, and the streets were filled with the slow movement of people who had survived enough disasters to stop panicking at every strange sound. Ruko walked beside Kazuma with his hands in his pockets, gloves hidden under his sleeves, posture relaxed but alert in a way that had become second nature.
It should have felt peaceful. That was the problem. Ruko slowed slightly, his steps unconsciously syncing with something he couldn't fully explain yet. The air felt heavier than it should have been, not with magic pressure but with density, like the world itself was bracing. His breathing stayed even, but his attention sharpened. Kazuma noticed. "You're doing that thing again on purpose." Ruko glanced at him. "hmm ..I didn't say anything." "You never do," Kazuma replied. "You just start walking like you're about to ruin my day."
Before Ruko could respond, the ground trembled. It wasn't violent. Not at first. Just a low vibration that rattled window frames and sent ripples through puddles left from Aqua's last enthusiastic blessing attempt. People stopped walking. Birds took off from rooftops all at once. Megumin froze mid-step. "That's not an earthquake." Darkness straightened, eyes bright. "Something large is happening." Aqua pointed dramatically down the main road. "See? This is why you need to pray more! If you had more faith, you'd recognize divine warnings!"
The tremor came again, stronger this time. A distant metallic groan followed, low and drawn out, like stone grinding against iron. Ruko stopped completely now, his chest tightening as something clicked into place. This wasn't magic. This wasn't a monster roaming too close. This was structure. "Everyone," Ruko said calmly, "look east." "What you mean look eaugh—" They did. At first, there was nothing but dust rising beyond the fields. Then the horizon shifted. Not metaphorically—physically.
The land itself seemed to lift as something enormous pushed forward, layers of stone plates sliding over one another. Towers rose where there should have been hills. Cannons unfolded from armored panels with mechanical precision. By means Ruko remembers before Arcanretia. The Mobile Fortress Destroyer had arrived. Kazuma stared, mouth open. "Nope. Absolutely not. I did not sign up for a moving city-sized murder machine." Kazuma squinted of not having this. While Ruko in his cat expression. "Mi bombo!"
Adventurers poured into the streets, shouting, pointing, running in every direction at once. Guild staff began ringing alarms, and someone screamed something about evacuation routes that no one listened to. The fortress continued advancing, each step shaking Axel to its core. Ruko didn't move. His breathing stayed controlled as his senses stretched outward, mana flowing around the fortress in strange patterns. It wasn't chaotic. It was regulated, fed by something deeper than a single core. He could feel it now—multiple systems working together, layered and reinforced.
"Im quite certain this thing isn't just here for attacking," Ruko said quietly. "It's testing whether we're worthy to live or die." Megumin clenched her staff. "Testing like crap for what?" "And how much resistance it'll meet." Darkness laughed softly. "How considerate.This ...is quite a site." Kazuma grabbed Ruko's shoulder. "Tell me you have a plan, if not then i guess I'll be going to heaven." "Not yet," Ruko replied honestly. "But I know where not to stand."
Another cannon unfolded. A warning siren screamed from somewhere inside the fortress, followed by a blast that tore a chunk out of an empty field just outside town. The explosion sent dirt and debris raining down, and panic finally tipped into full chaos. "Everyone to the guild!" someone shouted. "Defense formation!" Aqua raised her staff. "Don't worry! As a goddess, I—"
"No, stop you idoit." Kazuma snapped. "Do you wanna die again if you do." They ran.
Inside the guild, adventurers were already organizing into squads. Spells were being prepared, weapons drawn, plans shouted over one another. It was messy, loud, and uncoordinated, but it was Axel. Somehow, it always worked out enough to survive. Ruko leaned against the wall near the entrance, eyes closed for a brief second as he focused inward. The Core Alloy gloves responded faintly, warming under his sleeves. He didn't change them yet. Not now. He needed information first.
He felt the mana flow again, stronger this time. The fortress wasn't just powered by magic—it was guided by it, reacting to threats, adjusting angles, redistributing energy. Someone had designed this to adapt. "Adaptive enemy," Ruko muttered. "Great. Just my cup of tea." Kazuma overheard. "That sounds bad." "It is," Ruko said. "Which means hitting it harder won't be enough."
Megumin frowned. "Are you saying Explosion won't solve it?" Ruko looked at her carefully. "I'm saying Explosion will help, but not alone, since we need more fire power." She considered that, then smiled. "As long as I still get to use it." Outside, the fortress stopped advancing. Cannons rotated, locking onto different sections of town. The silence that followed was worse than the noise. Darkness stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. "So this is it. Another disaster. Another chance to protect the city. WITH MY EVERY OWN EXISTENCE."
Aqua swallowed. "Why does this keep happening here?" Kazuma sighed. "Because we live here, how dumb hardened did you get." Ruko straightened, decision settling in his posture. "We don't fight it head-on yet." Kazuma blinked. "Yeah ..wait we don't?" "No," Ruko said. "We will watch, learn, then we move." The fortress fired again, closer this time. The battle had begun, whether Axel was ready or not.
Ruko pulled his sleeves back just enough for the Core Alloy to respond, the gloves forming snugly around his hands. His expression stayed calm, eyes focused. "Let's survive long enough to hit it back properly," he said. And for the first time since returning from Axis, Axel faced a threat that didn't care about luck, gods, or explosions.It cared about efficiency. "And one more thing. Its time to hunt."