SHLAD-01 moved after the shadowy silhouette, his steps loud throughout the empty orphanage. Outside, he could already hear the distant sounds of voices. People had been pulled from bed by his earlier stunt, and guards would probably start patrolling the city in excess, trying to figure out what happened.

  As long as they did not get in his way, they could do whatever they wanted…

  The automaton, in his track, found himself standing inside a large room on the second floor. Presumably a playroom of some sort, judging by some of the toys that had been left lying on the ground.

  “This sound…”

  His inner thoughts, which he was unaware were not as ‘quiet’ as they should be, went toward a sound that he could hear below the floor. It seemed like this was truly some sort of trap. He had ended up inside a room with the window wide open.

  The implication was that whoever it was that he had followed had gone through the window, leaving him stranded inside this seemingly innocuous room. Below him, he could hear a sound he was unfamiliar with.

  The source of the sound was something he knew in some capacity, but whatever movements or situation was going on below resulted in a sound that he had not had the occasion to hear yet. His creator hadn’t placed such knowledge inside his artificial brain. That place had been reserved for intel on the target and the proper manner to utilise his weapons.

  He motioned to leave the room before the trap could unfurl–The wooden boards beneath his heavy feet creaked ominously. The floor gave in, and SHLAD-01 found himself in a bizarre situation.

  He was submerged. He could tell that the room he was in had once been the kitchen, and immediately, his mechanical mind understood what had happened. Mara Nebulo had snuck away here at some point and collected the fresh water stones.

  Such stones were rather rare, but under the decision that had resulted in the creation of so many orphanages, furnishing these places with necessities such as this one was considered a must to ensure the comfort of the wards–In simple terms, his target had grabbed each of these stones, activated them using whatever energy it was that she could use…

  Immediately, this was strange. His information stated that Mara Nebulo was magically inept to a high degree. Not only that, but her energy reserves should be comically low according to the intel, so activating so many stones with such energy that they managed to flood a room should be impossible.

  Her transformation into what she now is must be to blame for this.

  Regardless, SHLAD-01 may not be adapted to underwater combat, but he was waterproof. Automatons created in the same way as him–So most automatons nowadays–Are notoriously susceptible to instant malfunction when their internal parts and circuits come into contact with even small amounts of water or other liquids, so being dropped into a room filled with water would be more than enough to destroy most.

  Not him, though. His creator had taken the right steps to make SHLAD-01 capable of enduring such a trial. He could not go too deep before the water pressure would cause him to become just as vulnerable as any other construct of his kind, but that did not matter here.

  He used his scan while underwater, soon realising how the room had been flooded. Mara Nebulo had demonstrated earlier her ability to manifest steel, and she had used it here once more. Every gap had been sealed, turning the kitchen into an enclosed box that could safely be filled with water.

  “Underwater movement… Not ideal…”

  SHLAD-01 was heavy. He was very heavy to ensure that he was durable and hard to budge, so although resistant to water damage, he was still in a bad spot, as he couldn’t easily get out of here.

  His steam engine and oil engine needed to be opened to work properly, as in, they needed to open a latch to let excess steam and smoke out, but if he opened them now, they would be filled with water… The reason why this was bad was obvious.

  He could only shuffle his way over to one of the walls and break through it to get out. He deemed that the room above was too unstable to support his weight, and he would just fall through again if he attempted to get back up by jumping.

  Some sort of steel rod extends from the automaton’s back.

  “Interferences… In the signal… Likely explanation: The room was fully encased in steel”

  It seemed like Mara Nebulo did not do things randomly. The room had been surrounded in steel, making escape difficult for SHLAD-01 since he wasn’t able to use his full force when swinging–He questioned whether she had known about his engines, or if the water had been purely meant as a way to make him malfunction.

  Mara Nebulo was his creator’s sister, and she had worked for a period of time at a diner featuring automatons. She had experience with machines, and that was without mentioning the fact that she had become one herself. So, it couldn’t be put past her that she would know a few things about how to deal with SHLAD-01.

  The automaton began approaching the closest wall, paying attention to his surroundings. He noticed no visual traces of the water stones. He was unable to detect their energy not only due to this place being also overflowing with his target’s own residuals, but also because the water produced also carried an energy signature that was identical to the stone it came from.

  Otherwise, he would have wanted to destroy them to remove the possibility of them being used again against him–One of the cabinets was suddenly flung open, the water slowed it down, but it still hit the robot.

  He swung in reflex, but the motion was slower than usual. He lacked experience with how being submerged affected his speed and motions exactly. His target used this to her advantage.

  She was more agile than him underwater. His scans revealed that she had grown heavier since the last time he had seen her. He could only guess that the manifestation of steel somehow extended to her own body as well.

  Mara was wielding a hammer whose density was somewhat concerning. She swung it right at SHLAD-01’s leg. The automaton bent his joints backwards as the blow fell, effectively rendering the attack harmless.

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  In the same moment, the automaton’s right arm changed. The steel grew dark, extending as it took upon a far more malleable state, it became more akin to muscle as it swung around at an odd angle, and managed to sever his target’s left arm.

  The limb sank to the bottom of the room.

  In spite of the water, SHLAD-01 had still been able to easily slice through The Silent Knightess.

  ___

  Shit.

  How sharp is this freaking sickle? What is it made of?

  I backed away from the damned robot, ducking behind the central table in the kitchen, getting away from his line of sight to plan my next move.

  Apart from losing an arm, everything was going somewhat according to plan. I hadn’t expected that he would be able to manipulate his steel body like this. He truly seemed like a living being when he did that. His arm became far more fleshy, and his sickle turned white like bone before it all returned to what it was before.

  I reckon he can’t use that little trick for very long at a time.

  In any case, losing an arm was no problem. My knightly form and ‘Base Form’ did not share damage. So once I switched, I would be whole regardless–As far as I was aware at least, I had only tested with minor damage, it wasn’t unlikely that severe destruction would carry over…

  If too severely damaged, changing form might become difficult or even impossible until state is improved

  Ah. That’s good to know…

  As I thought this, I used ‘Steel Manipulation’ to the fullest extent I was currently capable of. I had trained a bunch with my abilities, but I couldn’t really improve them that much. Using them came to me naturally, and I could really only familiarise myself with them and learn a few tricks and quirks.

  In my view, true improvement could only be brought upon by an evolution… Why does my mind always wander like this? I am able to think way too quickly for my own good. I’ve been wondering about the most unrelated of things at any given time.

  Even in the middle of a fight–Hold up, I am doing it again.

  Snapping out of my ramblings to myself, I see the result of my usage of ‘Steel Manipulation’. One thing of note about the orphanage's kitchen was that it was very nice, the furniture was made from rust-resistant steel, and it was large. Most importantly, though, it was all normally bolted to the ground.

  I had already begun loosening the bolts by hand before, but now, by using my ability to control steel, I finished the job, lifting everything off the ground. Not just the furniture, but the kitchen tools as well, everything flew through the water straight at my stalker.

  He swung with his sickle, but there were too many projectiles, and he ended up getting swarmed… Naturally, that dealt no damage whatsoever, but it blocked his vision and occupied him as I once again focused, using ‘Steel Manipulation’ on him directly this time.

  As I had predicted, it was incredibly difficult. Not only was he a massive lump of steel–Of living steel, at that–But Leton had somehow given his creation a strong ego of sorts, something truly akin to a real mind, and thus, he had a will to resist me with.

  I wasn’t asking for much, though. I wasn’t trying to tear him apart or turn him into a crumpled-up piece of scrap. All I wanted was to slightly lift him off the ground and then flip him over on his head.

  Upside-down and with a mountain of random items and furniture piled on and around him, my opponent was properly confused and disoriented–Maybe not actually disoriented, but things should definitely be hard to deal with at the moment for him.

  I transformed into my ‘Base Form’, I was thankfully right in my assumption, and manifested with the top of my head back and all my limbs.

  I felt the sweet suffering of the six upgrades I had picked flood through me as my body changed. I didn’t have time to savour this agony. I lunged closer to the automaton.

  Without hesitation, I unleashed all of the wires, both copper and silver, wrapping them around the body of my opponent, sending their thin bodies into gaps which I didn’t even know if they held any significance.

  He tried to fight back, but it was too late. I unleashed absolutely every ounce of lightning stored in the ‘Faraday Box’ through the wires. There was a blinding flash as the water conducted the lightning as well.

  I was a machine, but I was one who worked because I was actually a ghost and curse hybrid possessing a machine. Electrical currents were of little threat to me… My pursuer, though? He was an actual automaton. He needed his parts to function properly.

  His swing just before the shock did not miss, though. He slashed through part of my chest and maw. The blow sent me stumbling backwards, but the wires held me in place.

  The automaton was having a severe case of twitches as his mechanisms seemed to all be malfunctioning–He was still working though, He reeled back his sickle despite it all, attempting to strike again, but through the malfunctions, it took him way too long to do so. I could see it coming from a kilometer away.

  I pulled back my wires and reeled back my right arm as well.

  I struck him in the head. Hard.

  ‘Hydraulic Limb’ proved to be very effective as the heavy machine was flung right up against the wall.

  He wasn’t done for, however. He stabbed his sickle through the wall behind him, and like a razor-sharp blade going through paper, he sliced it open, causing the water to come surging out of the room.

  “YOU—TARGET—MISSION—WILL—FULFILLED”

  Of course, it isn’t enough to get it off my back… Damned you, Leton! How much money and effort did you put into this thing?!

  “Y–You should give u–up, Buddy. H–H–Have some independence”

  “YOU—YOU—YOU—YOU–YOU-YOu… You are dead, Mara Maeve Maya Nebulo! I swear on every millimeter of my circuits! You are DEAD!”

  …I might have successfully fried him, after all.

  The red light of the scanner grew bright as the automaton rose up.

  Yep, I am definitely not destroying this thing today. I am out of here. Leton created a freaking monster.

  At least, the robot wasn’t standing straight just yet. His… Circuits, as he said, are probably still recovering from the lightning treatment he just received, but it is rather concerning that the full blast of my ‘Faraday Box’ was only able to achieve this.

  I looked down at my right fist.

  My punch had sent him flying, yes. But my fingers were bent inward, and I could feel that the blow had sent small cracks through the very steel of my arm.

  No amount of brute force would help me even if that bastard were standing still.

  “B–Before I–I leave… What are you ca–called?”

  “You are not going anywhere. The creator wants you gone. I shall see you destroyed. I, SHLAD-01, will destroy you!”

  I stared at the automaton for a lengthy second.

  “Oh… T–That’s very like him. Search, Hunt, Locate, Appraise, Destroy, heh? M-My Fri–Friend, you have–ve one shitty name”

  “DIE”

  SHLAD-01 suddenly raised his left arm, firing something he had been preparing the entire time, despite him twitching constantly and not even being able to stand properly.

  I did not pay attention to what he actually launched at me. I simply disappeared.