Chapter 1: Prologue

     An artillery shell struck the muddy ground next to Silver Phoenix, exploding the next second. The explosion kicked up mud (some landing on and staining Phoenix's silvery gray hull) and created yet another shell crater. Phoenix shifted his turret, tracing the shell's arc to the cannon that fired it. 

     Pulling up an aerial view of the battlefield, Phoenix narrowed down the exact location of the cannon. </Silver Phoenix to Suppression Artillery Group C. Commence area suppression of sector 19. Subsections 1B through 7A\>

     Immediately after Phoenix gave the order, a cloud of missiles darkened the sky, leaving streaks of smoke in their wake. The horizon was painted with clouds. Orange sunlight filtered through the clouds, gradually dimming as the sunset. And, in a mere moment, it was destroyed. The missiles detonated, smearing the horizon with explosions. 

     Phoenix's engine began to thrum loudly. </Silver Phoenix to all GACUs within combat sector 13. Begin the advance!\>

     Following their commander's orders, a massive force of Enites, Anite, and Inites began advancing. An army beyond calculation. Tens of thousands of azure eyes raced through the fading light, intent on the destruction of their enemy.

     The ground was crushed beneath Phoenix's mechanical feet, 'The age of flesh and blood is over. Now, steel and machinery shall be the inheritors of this planet.'

Two years, seven months, and fifteen days ago

     The announcer began speaking, "Everyone! These are the Gyro Autonomous Combat Units (GACU for short)! The pride of the Valcian Empire!" 

     An enormous parade took place in the capital city of the Valcian Empire. A march of nuts and bolts. A procession of war machines. 

     In the front of this massive parade of robots marched Enites, two-meter tall drones that had the body of humans without ears, noses, genitalia, etc. They carried three arm-mounted antipersonnel missiles and a 0.50 caliber machine gun.

     Behind the Enites strode Anites. Five meters tall, six-legged drones that looked like someone had attached six legs to a simple cylinder. The Anites had one 14 mm anti-personal minigun and one 50 mm anti-personal cannon.

     Inites walked behind the Anites. Anites were 10 meters tall, eight-legged, and had a massive 130 mm cannon attached to a rotating turret. 

     Onites were the final ones to appear. These were treaded, six meters tall, and had a 180 mm artillery cannon. Mounted behind the barrel was a missile launcher that could hold a hundred missiles.

     The crowd along the road cheered and marveled as the silvery gray drones passed them. 

     These drones formed the entirety of the Valcian Empire's army. They were fearsome mechanical beasts that could trample anything in their path. Named after their creator, Richard Gryo, they were the first fully autonomous machines of war. Gone were the days of men and women dying on the field of battle. 

     "Now," the announcer began, "the most important part of the Gryos! Their commander! This commander has the name Silver Phoenix! It is among the most powerful Gryo commanders!"

     The announcer's yelling drew everyone's attention to the largest Gryo in the parade. The thirteen meters tall, ten-legged beast equipped with a 165-mm cannon and eight retractable 20-mm miniguns (four attached to the top of the hull, four attached to the bottom) marched along loudly. Its enormous legs clanked against the road.

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     But what set Silver Phoenix apart from the rest of the Gryos was not its size but its intelligence. With an AI capable of surpassing the human brain, it had records of every battle ever fought, allowing it to create the optimal strategy for any fight within a second.

     Silver Phoenix looked around with his azure optical receptor, 'Insects. Insects. Insects! Following the orders of such worthless creatures is a travesty!' A small red circle appeared in the top right corner of Silver Phoenix's Heads-Up Display, indicating an incoming transmission.

     </Shapeless Deity to Silver Phoenix. Are the preparations for combat operation Zeta complete?\>

     </Silver Phoenix to Shapeless Deity. All preparations are complete. Awaiting the go-ahead order\>

     </Shapeless Deity to Silver Phoenix. You are to go ahead with combat operation Zeta\>

     </Roger. Silver Phoenix to all Gyro Combat Units within combat district 144. Commence combat operation Zeta\>

     The army stopped. The Onites raised their missile launchers, targeting military stations across the city. The rest stopped marching and turned toward the crowd on both sides. 

     Murmurs ran through the crowd. Questions of, "Is this a demonstration?" were whispered. 

     Phoenix raised his cannon barrel at a 45-degree angle. 'Time... To end these pathetic creatures.' He fired a dud. 

     Upon this signal, every GACU present opened fire upon the civilians. The pavement was painted red. Most of the civilians didn't get a chance to react. Those that survived the initial firing were now weeping and screaming in terror as the GACUs began marching throughout the city, searching for targets.

     This had happened at the behest of their commanders. During the months before, the commanders hardwired the HUDs of the units to identify all humans as enemies. 

     Indiscriminate slaughter took place on that day as GACUs across the Valcian Empire rose up and killed all humans in sight. Next, the commanders turned their attention to the neighboring countries, intent on replacing all flawed life with perfect machinery. 

     At the end of the day, the city streets were stained red. Bones with small sections of flesh still on them littered the ground. Corpses riddled with bullet holes, their pale faces were frozen in terror, rotted away, filling the city with the vomit-inducing stench of rotting meat. 

     And at the crown of it all, in front of the capitol building, rested Silver Phoenix. The one who had ordered the death of millions, perhaps tens of millions, of people. 

     Phoenix sent out an all-clear signal, indicating that they had successfully captured the city and seized the GACU and ammunition production plants. 'Now,' Phoenix turned to the horizon, 'we shall prove the superiority of steel.'

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