The Hellion Juggernaut loomed, a walking fortress of steel and death.
Its heavy railgun hummed as it charged, while its shock hammer crackled with energy that could turn bone to dust.
Ryo grinned.
This was exactly the kind of fight he needed.
David vs. Goliath
Vos snapped his rifle up. "I don't suppose you've got a plan for that thing?"
Karin reloaded, swearing. "Even if we unload everything we have, it won't be enough to crack that armor."
Ryo cracked his knuckles.
"We don't crack it. We rip it apart."
Then he charged.
> "Ohhhh, here we go. Get ready for the dumbest, most badass shit you've ever done."
Dodging Death
The Juggernaut moved faster than something that size had any right to.
Its railgun fired—
Ryo ducked, the round whizzing past his head, obliterating a boulder behind him.
He closed the gap.
The hammer swung.
Ryo **twisted—**barely dodging as it smashed into the ground, sending shockwaves rippling through the canyon floor.
His turn.
He leapt, driving both fists into the Juggernaut's chest plate.
CRACK.
The metal buckled—but didn't break.
> [DAMAGE ANALYSIS: ARMOR REINFORCED WITH KINETIC ABSORPTION.]
> [NEW STRATEGY REQUIRED.]
Ryo landed, frustration flickering in his mind.
This thing wasn't just big—it was built to take hits.
Which meant he needed to do something it wasn't designed for.
Adapt and Overcome
"Karin! Vos! Aim for the joints!"
Karin fired, her rounds **pinging off the armor—**but when she aimed for the exposed servos in the knee, the Juggernaut staggered.
Vos's shot hit home, blasting a chunk of hydraulics off its right leg.
Ryo grinned.
Now it was his turn.
He sprinted, vaulted up the Juggernaut's arm, grabbing onto the exposed cables beneath its shoulder plating.
> [TARGET WEAK POINT IDENTIFIED.]
With a snarl, he ripped the cables free.
The Juggernaut roared, its railgun sparking, power failing.
> "YES! THAT'S HOW YOU TAKE DOWN A TITAN!"
The Juggernaut staggered—then swung wildly.
Ryo had seconds to react.
The hammer came down—
He jumped.
Not backward. Up.
Straight toward the Juggernaut's head.
And then—he punched.
One Hit, One Kill
His fist met steel—
And steel lost.
BOOM.
The helmet caved in, sparks and fluid exploding outward.
The Juggernaut shuddered—then collapsed.
Silence.
Then—cheering.
Karin whistled. "Holy shit."
Vos let out a breath. "That was the dumbest, most insane thing I've ever seen."
Ryo rolled his shoulders.
Then grinned.
"Told you we'd rip it apart."
War Has Been Declared
The Hellion reinforcements were gone.
The canyon was theirs.
But Ryo knew better than to celebrate.
Because Hellion wouldn't just send one Juggernaut.
They'd send an army.
And when they did?
He'd be ready.