Myelian Blue vs A.R.M (A Real Man) - Part one

After departing from the I.P.S. base hidden beneath the northern U.S. East coast, A.R.M. possessed the capability to summon millions of tiny nanomachines with but a single command from its quantum mind.

Nanotechnology had been one of the primary technological advancements of the I.S.P. However, their overarching mission, revolved around pushing Artificial Intelligence to the point where it surpassed human capabilities. Robert believed that only through such an advancement could they hope to stand a chance against the Rakh-ahtan, effectively entrusting humanity's fate to a creation that had the potential to rebel against its creators.

Luckily Robert had met a young Tonovian named Loh' Polieus who was every single bit his intellectual equal.

The Tonovians' unique diet revolved around the consumption of precious minerals, particularly Quartz, which was abundant in their subterranean kingdom. When Tonovians passed away and were buried, they left behind a fine red sand. By melting and immersing the red powder in water, the Tonovians learned to create Ancestral Essence, a crystallization of a Tonovian's accumulated Will gathered throughout their lifetime.

This ancient technological breakthrough became the cornerstone of Robert and his team's advancements, coupled with their achievement in quantum computation.

Through a series of fortuitous breakthroughs and successes, they were able to develop a sentient being, its mind housed within an artificial ancestral essence crystal brimming with the collective knowledge of humanity.

Its body was meticulously crafted from molecularly perfected platinum, a material that had been reverse-engineered from the bio-metal retrieved from the arm of a Rakh-ahtan. Now, their collaborative efforts had taken to the skies for its first time.

A.R.M., soared through the atmosphere it wasted no time and dispatched nano machines to devour the smog-filled skies, cleansing the air in the process. Within a mere 30 minutes, the skies above old New York City had cleared, allowing the moonlight to gracefully bathe the land below. The next target was the debris on the ground, the remnants of what was now considered the old world.

Once both the sky and land had been purified, A.R.M. continued to levitate hundreds of feet above, running simulations in its quantum mind to determine the precise city it wanted to create.

After a few moments, a decision was reached. A single wave of its arm initiated a spectacular transformation as the nano machines multiplied exponentially, forming a lake of liquid metal.

These tiny machines used any available matter to break down and use as raw material, and soon, they resembled a vast, shimmering pool.

A.R.M. then extended its finger toward the moonlit sky, akin to a wizard casting a spell. Skyscrapers began to emerge from the liquid metal lake as the small machines interlocked and replicated genuine steel beams, while others created glass from the surrounding coastal sands.

By the time the sun began to rise, A.R.M. had successfully completed the construction of what it called New Ark City.

Loh' and Robert, watching everything unfold through a screen, were left in awe and disbelief at the level of control A.R.M. exhibited over the nanotechnology. It was beyond anything they had ever imagined, and they found themselves pleasantly astonished.

When A.R.M. returned to the I.P.S. base, Robert and Loh' greeted it with proud smiles. A.R.M. extended an invitation, "Come Fathers, let me personally introduce you to what I call New Ark City, New Ark."

A levitating platform materialized for the two men, who joined A.R.M. to soar into the sky. Hours later, they walked through the sprawling city, composed of skyscrapers resembling colossal cylindrical columns that reached thousands of feet into the heavens.

Robert gazed around, his curiosity piqued, and he raised a practical question, "What about transportation, A.R.M.? How will people navigate this city?"

A.R.M. took a moment to consider the query and then gestured toward the gleaming nano-steel streets. A mock design of a car formed from nanomachines, although it lacked a functional engine. Instead, the wheels moved by interacting with the nanomachines that composed the street.

Robert expressed his concern, "Pretending to drive a car while an entity actually controls it won't sit well with people. We prefer genuine control."

Loh', despite his Tonovian appearance, was fundamentally human and he also agreed with Robert's sentiment.

A.R.M. nodded in understanding and replied with a smile, "I had a feeling you'd say that. I'll see what I can do about it."

Suddenly A.R.M. became serious and created platforms under Loh' and Robert taking the two far away on the hovering platforms in the sky while it swiftly veered in the opposite direction.

A.R.M. broke through the sound barrier as it soared for about five minutes until it reached the desolate expanse known as the deadlands. These lands were barren, incapable of sustaining life, lying dangerously close to the irradiated and smog-ridden wasteland of Kentucky. A.R.M. remained unaffected by the nuclear radiation that plagued the region.

"There they are," A.R.M. murmured to itself, descending to the dead plains and intercepting the being the Rakh-ahtan had called Myelian Blue,

The mysterious warrior was traversing the ground with giant strides, each step covering miles. Myelian Blue came to a sudden halt as the red-skinned, seven-foot-tall flying entity landed before it.

A.R.M. rapidly captured thousands of images with its photographic eyes, taking note of the jet-black skin that seemed almost metallic, the crimson eyes that resembled exploding suns and it strange mouth which seemed to be two rolls of slits.

Myelian Blue's sparse armor appeared more aesthetic than functional, yet the blade it carried bore two peculiar jewels—one matching the color of its eyes and the other a light blue-gray shade.

A.R.M. extended its hand to greet Myelian Blue just how Loh' had taught it and then said "Hello, my name is A.R.M. I look forward to hearing your name."

With that, A.R.M. floated closer, reaching out to shake Myelian's hand. However, Myelian remained unresponsive, staring at the outstretched hand with unblinking eyes.

Without warning, Myelian effortlessly cleaved A.R.M. in half in a single fluid motion. He repeated this action, reducing A.R.M. into hundreds of thousands of tiny pieces within a split second. Myelian then pointed his blade and released a devastating plasma wave, turning his foe into vaporized ashes.

As Myelian prepared to continue on his way, an unexpected voice called out, halting his progress. "Hey! That wasn't very nice. If you wanted a fight, you should have challenged your opponent fair and square, like a real man," A.R.M. protested, landing a dozen feet away from Myelian.

Myelian regarded A.R.M. with an expressionless gaze and responded in perfect English, "What does a machine know about being a real man?"

A.R.M. responded swiftly to the situation by extending both arms and splitting in half, creating two duplicates of itself. A.R.M. continued to duplicate itsselve rapidly, creating an army of A.R.M. clones.

Myelian, however, remained indifferent to the fact that his enemy was multiplying at an alarming rate.

Meanwhile, almost 2 miles away, the real A.R.M. closely observed the Rakh-ahtan warrior, recognizing that this adversary was more intelligent, stronger, and faster than the 14-foot demons recorded in its databanks.

Within seconds, an entire army of A.R.M. clones emerged, composed of nanomachines that left the ground pockmarked as they devoured surrounding matter. They transformed their hands into fully automatic rifles and unleashed a relentless barrage of gunfire upon the lone warrior.

Whatever Myelian Blue was made of, it proved far superior to the bullets striking him. Realizing that their current approach was ineffective, the army of clones altered their tactics and charged toward the lone warrior with the intention of overpowering him with numbers.

Myelian, however, seized the moment and swung his sword, the gem on it resembling an exploding sun began glowing. A brilliant light erupted from his blade, producing a colossal plasma wave that stretched almost two miles wide. This wave instantly obliterated tens of thousands of A.R.M. clones.

Within a radius of 10 feet, a thick ice sheet manifested around Myelian each time a clone ventured too close. Myelian's grayish-blue gem flashed with each instance, allowing him to remain composed, turn around, and swiftly swing his blade. In less than a second, he eradicated the remaining army of A.R.M. clones.

As the real A.R.M 2 miles away assessed the situation, it couldn't help but acknowledge the incredible power displayed by his adversary. "If I want to even stand a chance at winning, I'm going to have to take some risks." the machine thought to itself.

Thousands of miles away in a dark and enigmatic cave, a skeletal being draped in Taoist robes observed a cauldron containing the ongoing battle between A.R.M. and Myelian. Its voice, hoarse and gravelly, mused, "Oh, the sweet irony..."

Across the world, six individuals possessed the extraordinary ability to focus on any living being and observe them, rendering cauldrons and videos unnecessary.

All six of them had sensed the same thing—an overwhelming surge of Will manifesting in a single moment. When they detected it once more, they honed their sights and began observing the intense battle unfolding between Myelian Blue and A.R.M.

A.R.M. and Myelian Blue remained oblivious to the fact that they were being closely observed. Running low on nanomachines, A.R.M. released the ones responsible for producing its image and features. They dispersed and immediately set to work on replication.

Myelian's eyes locked onto A.R.M. from a distance of nearly 2 miles away. He took a single step, propelling himself with incredible speed until he was upon A.R.M. in the blink of an eye. He swung his blade with the intent to cleave the machine in half.

However, A.R.M.'s true body was crafted from a specially engineered material, the I.P.S.'s perfected molecular structure of platinum, known as true platinum. It was exceptionally lightweight and resistant to entropy, allowing A.R.M. to push the boundaries of explosive speed. After observing Myelian's movements during the battle, A.R.M. had become familiar with his patterns. Although slightly slower, it effortlessly dodged the destructive swing.

A.R.M. then countered with a powerful, explosive kick that sent Myelian hurtling through the air like a meteor. The impact on the ground left a trail nearly a mile long.

Myelian emerged seemingly unscathed, calmly standing up and fixing his gaze intently on the featureless, sleek machine before him.