Intergalactic conquest with an AI

As the heavy footsteps drew nearer, Rex could finally make out the hulking silhouette of the Khryssari Champion emerging from the swirling sands. The creature's green-glowing eyes narrowed with cruel delight as he stopped just out of reach.

"Kukuku... this inferior being turned out to be far more entertaining than I expected. He has my praise," the champion sneered before casually tossing Carlos's limp body to the ground in front of Rex.

Rex's heart lurched. Carlos lay sprawled in the sand, his helmet cracked, one arm missing, blood staining his battered armor. "Carlos!" he choked, rage and horror flooding his voice.

"Focus, Rex!" Cleo's voice rang in his ear, sharp and steady. "He's still alive. But if you want him to stay that way, you need to finish this. Now."

Rex clenched his fists, breathing heavily, his gaze never leaving the Khryssari Champion. "Cleo... all I need to do is hold onto this device, right? And you said it's made from materials that can withstand big explosions?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Cleo's voice wavered, sensing something reckless in his tone.

Rex smirked, ignoring the pain and fatigue gnawing at his body. With a surge of strength, he wrapped his arms around the device, planting his feet firmly in the sand. Muscles straining, he began to lift, pulling it from the ground with a primal roar that echoed across the battlefield.

The electromagnetic field reacted instantly, weighing down on him like a crushing, invisible force, trying to pin him in place.

"Rex! Wait! This is too dangerous. Stop it!" Cleo's voice was panicked now as she watched his vitals spike, red alerts flashing all over her screen. The strain on his body was intense, his heart rate soaring, blood vessels straining, but Rex's focus was unbreakable.

"Kukuku… What are you trying to accomplish now, little human?" The Khryssari Champion mocked, striding closer, his massive fists flexing. "Do you wish for death? I would be delighted to oblige."

Rex ignored him, teeth gritted, veins bulging in his neck as he fought against the electromagnetic pressure.

Just as the Champion closed in, barely a meter away, Rex finally wrenched the device free from the ground and swung it with every ounce of strength he had left. The makeshift weapon smashed into the champion's face with a satisfying crack, sending the towering creature staggering back.

"How's that, you ugly bastard?" Rex roared, his voice filled with fury. Without missing a beat, he swung the device again, aiming for the champion's chest. But this time, the Khryssari was ready. He caught the heavy device with one massive clawed hand, stopping it dead in its tracks.

"Kukuku... using the very trap I set for you as a weapon. Clever... and amusing," the champion sneered, his grip tightening on the device. "But I wonder... how long you can keep up this charade!" With a snarl, he drove his fist into Rex's face, the impact ringing out like thunder.

Rex staggered but didn't back down. He spat blood and grinned defiantly. "Is that it? You hit like a damn child!" He swung his fist, smashing it into the champion's face in return, feeling his knuckles crack against the creature's unyielding exoskeleton.

The champion chuckled, unfazed, as if Rex's defiance amused him. "Kukuku… your pathetic provocations mean nothing, human. Why should I care what a weaker creature thinks?" He drove his fist into Rex's jaw again, each blow resonating like the beat of a war drum.

The two clashed, exchanging brutal punches, locked in a savage contest of endurance. Blow after blow, Rex's vision began to blur, his breaths turning ragged. He could feel his strength draining, his body reaching its limit.

"Ah, fuck this." Rex muttered, spitting blood onto the sand as his eyes began to glow with an intense, blinding light.

[Overdrive Mode activated]

A surge of energy exploded from Rex, his entire body igniting in a brilliant white light that cut through the sandstorm like a beacon. Every soldier on the battlefield, including friends and foes alike, could see the incandescent figure blazing within the storm. Rex no longer cared who was watching. All he knew was that he was done holding back.

With newfound power coursing through his veins, he lifted the device with ease, swinging it like a war hammer. The Khryssari Champion's eyes widened as Rex brought the device down on him, the impact sending him crashing into the ground with an explosion of sand and dust.

"K-Ku…!" the champion sputtered, dazed, as he struggled to rise.

"Oh, you're not getting up from this," Rex snarled, his voice like a battle cry as he raised the device over his head. "Start begging, you oversized bug!"

He brought the device down with brutal force, slamming it into the champion's exoskeleton. Each hit resounded like an explosion, the sheer power of his blows cracking the hardened armor.

Dust and debris flew with every impact, and the ground beneath them shook with each strike. The champion writhed beneath him, his laughter now replaced by groans of pain, his earlier arrogance shattered.

Again and again, Rex hammered down, his Overdrive-enhanced strength making each blow deadlier than the last. His rage was a torrent, his body blazing with energy, every swing fueled by the thought of Carlos, his team, and everything they'd endured.

Finally, with one last, thunderous blow, he drove the device into the champion's chest, shattering the exoskeleton completely. The K. Champion let out a choked gasp, his green-lit eyes flickering, the light within them dimming as he lay sprawled in the sand, defeated.

Rex stood over him, breathing heavily, his glowing form slowly dimming as his Overdrive faded. Around him, his troops cheered, their voices rising in triumph, their morale soaring as they witnessed their captain's victory.

Just as Rex turned to check on Carlos, he caught sight of him struggling to his feet, bloodied but determined. Carlos opened his mouth to say something, but his communicator had been destroyed in the fierce battle against the K. Champion

In that split second, Rex felt a sharp, pulsing pain in his abdomen. He looked down, horrified, to see a massive, jagged horn piercing straight through his armor. Golden blood splattered inside his helmet, and he coughed, feeling warmth trickle down his throat.

"Rex!" Cleo's voice rang out, panic lacing her tone as she saw him impaled.

Behind him, the Khryssari champion that was supposedly defeated just moments ago stood tall, his laughter echoing menacingly. "You pitiful humans should learn to aim for the head first!" he sneered, lifting Rex higher with the horn embedded in his hand, twisting it slightly as if savoring Rex's pain.

Carlos saw this horrifying scene unfold. Ignoring his own injuries, he gripped his hammer tightly, channeling every ounce of strength he had left. With a powerful, desperate swing, he slammed his hammer into the Khryssari champion's side, hitting him with a force that sent both the champion and Rex tumbling across the scorching sand.

As they rolled, Rex was thrown clear of the horn, but a gaping wound now marred his abdomen. Golden blood spilled from him like a broken fountain, staining the sand beneath him.

He lay there, gasping, his vision blurring, while he heard the brutal sounds of Carlos clashing with the champion once more. It was clear Carlos was struggling, each blow weaker than the last.

Rex fumbled with his helmet, blood obscuring his view. With a hiss, he deactivated it, feeling the hot wind whip against his face. His long, dark hair fell across his eyes, streaked with golden blood.

"Rex," Cleo's voice crackled in his ear, softer now. "I'm redirecting energy to start healing you, but it's going to drain your strength. You'll barely be at half power, and overdrive is off the table."

He coughed, wincing. "That's fine… just patch me up. The bald idiot's going to need help before he ends up uglier than he already is."

"Take care, Rex." Cleo's voice faded, and with it, the familiar HUD in his eyes blink out. He could feel his strength slipping; his powerful frame weakened, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He had to fight the champion once more alone.

With a wry smirk, Rex forced himself to his feet, gritting his teeth against the pain. He wasn't alone. He never had been. Even as a kid, there had always been someone watching his back.

Staggering forward, he spotted the device still intact and humming with power. He gripped it, feeling its familiar weight in his hands, and set off on a stumbling run toward the brutal fight between Carlos and the Khryssari champion.

Carlos was holding his ground, barely, but the champion was relentless, pressing him back with savage blows.

With all the strength he had left, Rex lunged, swinging the device at the back of the Khryssari's knee. The champion grunted, forced down onto one knee, momentarily vulnerable.

"Now, baldy!" Rex roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

Carlos shot him a wild grin. "Took you long enough, you fancy-haired princess!" With a defiant laugh, he powered up his hammer, the weapon crackling with energy, and brought it down in a devastating arc onto the champion's face.

The K. Champion staggered, tumbling down the sandy slope, his body skidding and rolling across the dunes.

Rex laughed through the pain, wincing as he held his bleeding side. "Looks like your ugly mug survived after all."

Carlos snorted, breathing hard. "This face won't be ruined by some freak with a horn."

From below, a low, menacing chuckle rumbled as the Khryssari champion rose again, his injuries already beginning to heal. "More!" he hissed, his eyes blazing with bloodlust. "Entertain me more!"

Carlos tightened his grip on his hammer, his muscles tensing. "You ready for round two, Rex?"

Rex took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Only if you are Carlos."

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