This chapter has been rewritten/updated. Several grammar mistakes have been corrected and several small details have been applied. Apologies for any inconvenience this may bring. (4/8/2023) -EBYrsTruly

~NO ONE'S POV~

Have you ever wondered how the three major races in the Koprulu Sector start a siege?

For the Protoss, their usual tactic is sending in their stealth units to weaken the defenses.

For the Zerg, they launch an overwhelming amount of zerglings and banelings to soften their enemy's position.

As for the Terrans? Their favorite way of initiating is comprised of two words.

HEAVY ARTILLERY!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

In mass quantities, and when I say that, I mean enough plasma shells to completely terraform any landscape into a devastated battleground littered with craters.

A special favorite for Leon. It's mostly why he loved the Terrans so much and how he fell head over heels for Seige Tanks.

At first, he thought that he'd have to wait until he could deploy units onto the island to see them in action, but Henius(Hero Genius) Stetmann had made a groundbreaking discovery.

After researching more on Zerg biology, examining Protoss tech, and fortunately finding the wreckage of an old UED civilian ship, Stetmann had brought to life a concept thought to be impossible to do.

Combining two or more separate machines into one, instantaneously. Wherever and whenever they want.

An idea he got after watching an old show about giant mechs, teenagers in colorful suits, and something called a morphing grid. Another idea he would work on days later.

Anyways, thanks to him, Terran warfare has never been the same again, and the old show he watched had been brought back to life, modernized, and became one of the most popular shows in the sector.

It is also thanks to him that LUXION was able to combine a platoon of Siege Tanks, outfitted with improvements that increase its range immensely, with a Hercules. Effectively turning the generally harmless and useless transport ship into a devastating airborne beast of an artillery unit.

Leon is still pending on what to call it since it's one of LUXION's recent prototypes, but man does it deal damage!

Despite it being the only one in the fleet, it was able to singlehandedly destroy 15 ships and severely damage the pirates' fortress from 15 miles away.

Terran ingenuity is no joke.

The trade however of being able to fire a barrage of explosive shell rounds at once is that it takes 10 whole minutes for it to fire because of the distance. Hopefully, it will be improved later on with the data they'll collect from this battle. However, it had served its purpose. To deal massive damage to the pirates' forces and their base.

Now for the second phase.

"All units advance."

At LUXION's command, every single vessel in the fleet moved forward. At the same time, the pirates had begun to fire their weapons at the oncoming onslaught.

Cannonballs and magic spells assaulted the fleet. Explosions began occurring from everywhere. The night sky lit up with the fleet tanking everything thrown their way, yet despite this, they moved forward, undeterred by the resistance of the pirates.

Years' worth of constant research and testing had improved the Terran energy shields twofold. Now able to stay active always and tank more damage. Though lightyears away from the Protoss's shields, they were more than enough to shrug off the pirates' barrage.

This stunned the enemy. They all just stood there and stared in disbelief. A huge mistake on their part because the ships in Leon's fleet had already charged their weapons.

"Right then, time to see how much damage we can do with a volley of plasma.", The young man keeps his eyes on the numerous screens in front of him that show him a perfect view of the entire battlefield.

With a silent command, every single energy weapon on every ship in the fleet began to fire all at once.

The effects of their attacks were more than satisfactory.

Despite the pirates bracing themselves and setting up their magic shield, it would mean nothing.

The rounds of heated plasma first impacted the shields and the force behind them, alongside the explosions that occurred upon contact, put so much strain on the magic users that blood began to drip from their noses, a few even outright fainted on the spot. It was obvious the shields wouldn't last long before they broke, and they did.

Bright bursts of plasma showered upon the enemy's side. Many of the pirates' fleets have either been destroyed completely or are slowly burning down falling out of the air.

Fortunately, the fleet had taken most of the damage and left their center fortress with only a few bits of it on fire or destroyed.

It still meant that many of their troops had been unfortunate enough to be hit by a couple of stray rounds of plasma. Those hit directly had died pretty quickly, and they were the lucky ones.

Those that survived are now suffering severe degree burns everywhere on their body. The pirates' doctors and healers tried to save their lives but the damage dealt by the plasma was too great. They all died painfully and slowly.

"Plasma-based weaponry is confirmed to be effective against mid to low-tier magic shields. Mid-tier healing magic is also seen as ineffective in fixing the damage."

"Wonderful. Now we have an effective counter against mid-tier mages and below.", Leon smiled as he saved the information onto a floating panel.

"Commander. Banshees and Wraiths have successfully bypassed whatever is left of their blockade. They are now moving towards vital targets."

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. I almost feel sorry for them. Can't even detect the ones with the lowest grade of cloaking tech."

A few minutes before the attack started LUXION launched hundreds of cloaked Banshees and Wraiths. All of them split into different squads based on the stealth engines installed in them, from the lowest to the most advanced version in their arsenal.

This was a test to see if any of the pirates would be able to detect them and to see what tier of cloaking tech would be effective. Though seeing that they weren't able to detect any of them, Leon didn't know whether to be amazed at how advanced the Terran stealth technology is or be disappointed at his adversary's terrible performance.

"Commander. The enemy has begun deploying their Armors. Scans are showing that their numbers are around 4000.

Leon then grinned, "Now here comes the fun part.", He then pressed a button on the panel to his right, causing his seat to change and many complex-looking types of machinery began to emerge from the floor.

"LUXION, send in a dozen squads of Vikings on our left and right sides. Launch Raiders into the middle of the fray. Time to see how well they do in a real fight."

"Right away, Commander."

The carriers in their fleet opened their hanger doors and immediately, hundreds of fast-moving Vikings in jet mode flew into battle.

Three specific carriers in the middle however launched different types of machines.

They were humanoid in shape like any other Armors in this world, but that is where the similarities ended.

These mechas were designed much differently than their pirate-operated counterparts. First off, each one of Leon's armors looks far more advanced, obviously, and they all shared the same futuristic design and color scheme.

Gleaming silver, azure blue, and shining gold for the eagle symbol on their right shoulder guards and chests.

There are three types of them heading into battle.

The first are the ones staying at the very back. These wielded giant sniper rifle-shaped weapons that accommodated their size and attached to their back and left shoulder are two missile launchers.

The second type of mechs stayed in the middle, not too close but also not too far. These are holding what seem to be larger and altered versions of a gauss rifle. They are also considerably bulkier than the others, have the most number, and are equipped with a large shield attached to their left shoulder. They shared a resemblance to the Terran faction's basic marines.

The third and last type of mechs looked a lot more like actual knights and are flying at the enemy head-on. Neo steel plating covered their entire forms, giving them their knight-like appearance. Though the jet packs with the sleek metallic wings attached to their backs made them look a lot more like steel warrior angels. Their weapons of choice are two long swords with a Terran twist. The edges of the swords are glowing an intense blue color because of the heated plasma built into them.

These were what Leon and Luxion have been working on for months. The creation of a new series of mobile, versatile, and destructive weapons that will aid them in future conflicts. The Raiders. Named after, you guessed it, Raynor's Raiders, these new mechanical units are a perfect combination of speed, strength, power, and maneuverability made for dealing with large threats. They can outpace Ultralisks, outrange Collosi, and take down a Thor with precision.

Heck, Leon is also pretty sure they'll be able to go toe to toe with a hybrid...someday after improving them some more and with the right modifications. Oh right! The best part about these new mech units is that they can be customized to become suitable for any occasion. At the moment there are only the basics. The range, mid-range, and close combat. Over time, more variety will be developed, but for now, they are more than enough for what lies ahead.

"All units have been deployed. Collision with the enemy forces is imminent."

"Ready the type A Raiders' rocket barrage and railguns. Have the type Bs form a tight perimeter around them, don't let anything get through, and let the type Cs continue their course. Have them break the enemy formation."

"Affirmative."

Both armies rushed at each other and soon, the battle between mechs would truly begin and it was Leon's new generation Armors that made the first move.

Once the enemy was in range, the type A Raiders focused their optics, aimed, and then finally, launched their payload at the pirates.

The air lit up with the light of a hundred explosions that shook the very sky. When the pirates finally regained their bearings, they found themselves missing 1/4 of their forces. Their entire front line had been obliterated by the swarm of missiles that came at them.

This brought shock and horror into the minds of the enemy pilots. Leaving them all vulnerable to plasma shots and swords of Leon's new mech units.

Dozens of them fell in seconds, their Armors not being able to resist much against the plasma shots, hypersonic bullets, and being cut down by the fast-flying type C Raiders.

A small group of Armors charged against a singled-out type C Raider. Planning to overwhelm it with their numbers. To a normal Armor, this tactic would have worked, but Raiders aren't Armors.

It fired its main thrusters, launching itself at the group in a burst of speed that shocked the enemy. Leaving them vulnerable to the Raider. It was so fast that before they knew it, it had already passed them, and their mechs were cut in two, right in the abdomen. The bright silver particles of the Raider's thrusters were the last thing they saw before they began plummeting into the ocean.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Several similar instances occurred around the battle. Pirates tried to take down the Raiders one at a time, but they were too fast to catch and where slain before they could even put a dent in them. It took losing hundreds of them for the rest to finally get themselves together and start a counter-attack.

"CHARGE!"

Fearless or insane pirates threw themselves into the fray in a futile attempt to defeat their enemies.

The type A Raiders were too far out of reach for them and were protected at all times by the type Bs. The types Cs were careful in picking their battles, making sure to not stray too far from the group to avoid being caught off guard.

As for how well they are fairing with the Vikings.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

BOOM! BOOM!

A combination of explosive 3.7 caliber bullets and heat-seeking missiles made sure anything the Vikings come across in their path was decimated. They were simply too fast for the pirates to hit and even if they do manage to hit, it wouldn't leave a scratch on its frame because of their energy shield.

The Vikings rounded up all the enemy Armors to the center, keeping them there with their heavy firepower for the Raiders to finish off.

They are like an ever-advancing grinder. Showing no mercy, no compromise. Only efficiency.

In other words, it was a one-sided slaughter.

"KEEP FIRING! PUSH FORWARD! AIM FOR THE ONES AT THE BACK!"

"But sir! We can't get past those defenders! If we get close we are either gunned down or cut two!"

"DON'T SHOW ANY WEAKNESS YOU SCURVY DOGS! AT LEAST TAKE ONE DOWN-"

The commanding officer's armor, which had been barking orders around at the others, had been cut off by a shot from a rail gun, destroying the armor's middle section before causing an explosion.

"SHIT! THEY ARE SLAUGHTERING US!"

"FUCK! RETREAT! RETREAT!"

"NO! BELAY THA-"

The unfortunate soul that continues to be defiant, found itself split in two from a downward slash of passing by a Type C Raider.

"THEY GOT GREG! RUN! RUUUUUN!"

With panic spreading through their ranks, their morale hitting a new time low, and no officers to pull them together, what remained of the pirate armors tried to make a run for it.

Many were gunned down as they tried to flee back into the fortress. One even managed to get close and the fear-riddled pirate inside gave their all to reach the safety of the iron walls of the fortress in the center of the island.

"HELP ME! HELP-"

SHING!

"-me...", The pilot of the armor, using the last seconds of life, looked down and saw a large blade coated in silver light piercing through his chest and out the cockpit.

He felt hot and every part of his being was in excruciating pain. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move. All he could do was stare at the silver light before it all faded to black.

The pirates stationed at the fortress watched in horror as their comrade tried to reach them, only to have a glowing blade pierce through the Armor.

Everyone in the fortress fell silent, even as they watched the armor go limp and fall lifelessly down onto the sea. Then, everyone got a perfect view of what had done the deed.

It had the base structure of a regular Raider, but it stood 3 meters taller. From head to toe, its entire frame is covered in neo-steel plating painted in blue and silver. It floated on two sleek metallic wings that released bright blue flames from its jet engines at the center of its back. Carved on both of its shoulder guards is the symbol of the golden eagle. On its right arm, coming out from its wrist, was the same glowing blade that killed their comrade before their eyes.

The pirates quivered in their boots as the thing raises its head at them. When they saw its face, many soiled their trousers in fear.

A demon. They stared in horror at the face of a grinning demon, whose silver glowing eyes ogled at them like fresh slabs of meat.

Then...the demon spoke in an unholy voice so deep, so unnatural, that it sent it made even the toughest pirate's soul quiver.

"Pirates, crooks, mercenaries, and derived sinners of Devil's Crown! DEATH AWAITS YOU! STRUGGLE. RUN. FIGHT. IT WILL NOT MATTER. YOUR END IS INEVITABLE!"

"Oh put a cork in it!"

BOOM!

The form of the Raider in front of them was obscured when an explosion hit its frame, covering the area with black smoke.

The men stationed on the outer wall turned to look behind them and they all cheered at the sight of another Armor.

It was a sight for sore eyes. The Red Berserker, an armor painted in red, 2 meters larger than average, with four arms, two on the right and two on the left. Its right arm held onto a giant canon with its barrel still smoking while its arms on the left held two separate long swords. It is a custom-made armor, built and owned by one of the three lords of Devil's Crown, Lord Garet Bloodrage.

"Ha! Prideful prick was all Arrogance and nothing to back it up with!", The seasoned warrior's voice echoed from the mech's voice box along with his laugh. Soon enough the other pirates laughed as well, feeling that they were victorious even though they are outnumbered and outgunned.

"Arrogance eh?"

"What?", Lord Garet stopped laughing and turned to look back.

BANG!

Only to have a bright blue light shoot out and destroy his right shoulder, disconnecting his arms and letting the cannon fall to the floor. The pirate lord stared in shock at the damage to his armor before looking back to see the smoke finally dissipated to reveal the demonic armor, still intact and its left arm stretched out with a smoking barrel that replaced its hand.

"I like that name. Arrogance. Yes, from here on out this one's name shall be Arrogance. Thank you for providing the idea. In return. I shall gift you a quick death."

"What are you on about you crazy bastard?! It is me who is going to do the killing!", Garet roared out and blindly charged at Arrogance, raising his swords to slash down on it.

Arrogance on the other hand did not seem fazed by him as it transformed its canon back into a hand and thrusts it forward.

The Red Berserker stopped in mid-air, suspended in place by an unseen force originating from Arrogance.

"What? What the fuck? What the hell is happening? Why can't I move my Armor?!", Garet cried out in confusion and fury.

He turned his head to stare at Arrogance with hate just as it turned its palm to face the sky and clench its hand into a fist.

That...was the last thing Garet Bloodrage saw before he died. His armor crushed into a ball of metal from Arrogance's psionic grip.

The roars of cheers died in the throats of all who witness Pirate Lord Garet Bloodrage's simple but messy demise.

Silence once more returned to the battlefield. Arrogance glances at the ball of metal still in its grasp. Before letting it go to fall down into the deep blue sea below.

It then raises its head to stare at the enemy, watching in amusement as they all trembled in fear.

"I certainly hope that isn't the best that you can do. If it is then I'm afraid I'll have to end you all right now."

As it finished all the Raiders, from Type A to C, had arrived and formed a formation right behind it. Guns and missile launchers aimed at the fortress while Type C's readied themselves to charge in.

Beads of sweat ran down the faces of the pirates who found themselves at the front lines against Leon's legion of modified armors. Just as they were about to either run for their lives, surrender or foolishly fire at their enemy, a loud voice shouted from behind their ranks and a grey-colored armor floated up to gain their attention.

"Please wait! You don't have to do this!", The pilot of the armor said in a rather young voice, "I can be more of use to you alive!"

"Oh? Who might you be to suggest such an idea?"

Arrogance asked in amusement.

"I am Tray, my lord, a humble servant seeking mercy. Please I beg you, spare me and I shall be your loyal servant for as long as I live!", The armor then touched down onto the wall and kneeled before Arrogance. Immediately others began to follow his example, kneeled, and begged for the same thing.

"Yes! We can be of use!"

"Please spare us oh Great and Mighty Arrogance!"

"We will do anything you say, my lord!"

"We shall be your humble servants!"

They were all waiting anxiously for Arrogance's answer and beads of sweat ran down all their faces as they continued to wait in silence. Their very lives depended on Arrogance, they didn't care about what they were forced to do if they were accepted, and they didn't even give a damn about the pirate lords at this point. The strongest of the three had died so easily, what chance do the remaining two have in defeating this great threat? Despite them all being gathered under one banner, they all believed in one thing, it was every man for himself.

"Very well! I have decided!"

The pirates and the armor both raised their heads. Dread and hope rose and fell within them as they listened to Arrogance's decision.

It raises its hand and points at the armor, "You, Trey, was it? Come to my side. As for the rest of you, RISE!"

Smiles began to spread through the men. This was it. They were going to live. They were going to survive. Yet the one who had the widest smile was the one inside the armor, it was an arrogant smile, 'Yes! I can't believe that worked! I get to live! Now I just have to bid my time, rise through the ranks, get close to this thing's pilot, and kill him! Then all of this will be mine! Yes! HAHA! Mine!'

Tray thought to himself with glee as he piloted his armor to stand by Arrogance to watch as his brethren rose from their positions and began cheering and chanting, "Long live Lord Arrogance! The greatest and most merciful of them all!" "All hail the Lord!" "What be our biding master?! We are eager to serve!"

"My first order onto you all is..."

The pirates all looked forward to hearing its order as they already guessed that it would have them take over the fortress and betray the three- I mean, two pirate lords. They all held onto their weapons. Eager and bloodthirsty grins dotted all of their faces.

"Drop dead."

First came confusion, did they all hear that right, or was he serious? Next came dread, realizations came to those who thought fast and all their hope went down the drain, some even started to slowly back away. Yet what last came next had sealed their fate. It was the many Type B armors behind Arrogance aiming their guns at them...which then proceeded to completely brutalize every single person that had foolishly remained and those who tried to escape. They only stopped firing when only a red pool of blood, body parts, and intestines remained.

Tray was beyond shock, yet not beyond horror as he finally realize that Arrogance didn't say anything about accepting them. No, it merely ordered them. Which meant-

Just as he turned his head a giant metal hand reached out, grabbed the chest of his armor, ripped it out, and then pulled him straight out of his seat, screaming.

"NO! WAIT! PLEASE, MY LORD! I CAN BE OF USE! I CAN BE YOUR SLAVE! I CAN CAST A VOW OF LOYALTY!", Tray screamed helplessly and desperately.

This only caused Arrogance to bellow a deep and demonic laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAA!"

It sent a silent message to the other armors and they all followed its command. They charge forward, laying siege to the fortress within, destroying all buildings with signs of pirate life, and securing several slave-holding pens, leaving Arrogance to deal with the crying man in its grasp.

"Oh Tray, why the fuck would I accept the sick bastard who mentally scarred me? The one who tormented me for days. The one who took my arm."

It is then that Trey finally realized who he was talking to. He had cut off the arm of only one person after they had punched him when he was just about to have fun with the new slave recently bought by one of the lords. He took great pleasure in doing it too, too bad he wasn't able to go back and have fun because the bitch had been moved to one of the lord's private dungeons.

A young man from a poor noble house had managed to escape during a monster attack when a pod of them struck the fortress. The same young man who now holds his life in his hands, figuratively and literally. Leon Fou Bartfort, "Yo-you!"

"Yes, ME!"

The armor's grin seemed to widen. It then grabbed a hold of both his arms and proceed to pull, slowly.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! PLEASE! STOP! STOP! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"

"I hear your pleas, Trey, but you brought this upon yourself. Now it is time for me to repay you for what you've done. A wicked act for a wicked act."

With that said Arrogance began to pull harder and Trey's screams echoed out into the air, only to be drowned out by the explosions and screams coming from the fortress...until...

RIIIP!

The man was torn in two.

"Oops. I may have overdone it again."

Arrogance playfully said before throwing the worthless corpse away and watching as his legion decimated whatever is left of Devil's Crown.

"I found it deserving commander."

"Thanks, LUXION. The test has been a success! I will look forward to what else you can come up with."

"I shall not disappoint you, commander."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

WARNING! AN UNKNOWN ANOMALY HAS ARRIVED ON THE FIELD!

"What the fuck?"

Leon turned Arrogance's head to the west. He pushed the mech's vision to the max to spot the disturbance...and that is when he saw it.

Illuminated by the flames of destruction, bathed in colors of scarlet, a single mech holding the broken forms of two Type C Raiders walked out of the inferno and stood upon the broken forms of several Armors. Deadly is its form yet held a twisted sense of grace. It was lean, built for speed yet had enough bulk to show off its strength, which it demonstrated by throwing the two broken mechs at a group of Type A Raiders hard enough that they exploded upon impact.

A team of Type B Raiders tried to gun down the anomaly but the scarlet armor pressed on even when the hypersonic bullets damaged its arms and chest. It lunged at the group, literally tearing them apart with such ferocity with its long claws with such ferocity that Leon thought that it was part Zerg...but it was a little reassuring to know it can still be damaged.

"Commander! Scans have shown that the armor-"

Leon's jaw dropped when he saw the damage on the scarlet armor regenerate as if it was made of flesh.

"-has properties similar to Zerg organisms."

"Like regeneration?"

"Yes but if the scans are correct it is also able to-"

The scarlet armor walked over to the broken body of a Type C Raider before it proceeded to open its zergling-shaped maw... and devour the entire mech, one bite at a time. Leon and LUXION could only stare in shock as it finished its meal...and began to change. It grew in both height and bulk, now being able to stand at the same height as Arrogance. Its armor plates grew to accommodate its new mass, its clawed hands gained another digit, and from its back, sprouted thrusters similar to the mech it consumed.

"Consume mechs. Assimilating their technology and materials to apply to themselves.

"...well shit..."

"Anomaly is being designated as-"

After its artificial metamorphosis was complete, the anomaly reared up its head and blasted out a roar that made the entire island quake.

"RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Savage Scarlet."