Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 312 Emperor sword. {3}

The moment the dragon spotted the Dreadnought Liberator and saw its weapons targeting it, the massive creature opened its jaws wide. Its throat began to glow with a dangerous red light, and the energy around it seemed to warp and twist as it was drawn into the dragon's mouth. The air crackled with power, and the ground trembled beneath its feet.

[Hostile actions detected. Firing all weapons.]

The Liberator's cannons and turrets roared to life, lighting up the misty sky with a barrage of energy blasts and explosive projectiles. The fireworks of destruction slammed into the dragon's metallic body, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. But the dragon didn't falter.

Instead, it unleashed a devastating red laser beam from its mouth, the sheer force of the attack disintegrating the incoming projectiles mid-air. The beam struck the Dreadnought's shields, causing them to flicker and strain under the immense pressure.

For several tense minutes, the dragon's laser beam raged against the Dreadnought, the two titans locked in a deadly standoff. Finally, the beam subsided, leaving behind a trail of smoke curling from the dragon's jaws.

It stared at the Dreadnought, its glowing red eyes filled with malice and intelligence.

Rex and Cleo emerged from the fortress, flying at full speed just as the dragon's attack ended. They landed on a nearby ridge, their eyes fixed on the colossal creature.

"Cleo, don't tell me that thing was part of the Kaelzar military," Rex said, his voice tinged with disbelief as he stared at the dragon.

"I don't know," Cleo admitted, her golden eyes narrowing as she analyzed the creature. "I don't have any data on such beings. Even as a princess, it's impossible for me to know everything about the Kaelzar Empire."

[Threat level escalated to Level 3. Proceeding to use nuclear armament.]

The Liberator's AI system made the decision to escalate its response. The Dreadnought's missile hangars opened, revealing rows of nuclear warheads. The AI had determined that the dragon posed a significant threat, one that could potentially damage the Dreadnought in a prolonged battle.

"Not good! Everyone, take cover! Shields at maximum output!" Cleo commanded through the comms, her voice sharp and urgent. She grabbed Rex's hand and pulled him back toward the fortress, her instincts screaming at her to find shelter.

The Dreadnought launched nearly sixty nuclear missiles, their engines igniting as they streaked through the sky. Half of the smart-seeking missiles locked onto the dragon, their trajectories unwavering as they closed in on their target.

The dragon let out a deafening roar, its massive wings unfurling with a thunderous snap. With a powerful flap, it launched itself into the sky, flying away from the planet's surface as if it didn't want the fortress or whatever lay beneath it to be damaged by the impending explosions.

"Look out there! What is that!?" a soldier of the other forces shouted, his voice filled with terror.

"What the hell is that monstrosity!?" another cried, his weapon trembling in his hands.

"Could it be the same creature the megacorps have been hunting?!" a third voice added, panic spreading through the ranks.

As the dragon reached a safe distance, its metallic scales began to shift and open, revealing glowing red lights beneath. The lights pulsed with energy, and within seconds, laser beams erupted from the dragon's body, streaking through the void of space.

The beams struck the incoming nuclear missiles, detonating them in a series of blinding explosions just outside the planet's atmosphere.

The resulting shockwave was catastrophic. The explosions lit up the sky like a second sun, their brilliance overwhelming sensors and blinding anyone who dared to look directly at them.

The force of the detonations destroyed anything within a few kilometers of the blast radius, including several enemy ships that had been too close.

Rex and Cleo shielded their eyes, the sheer intensity of the light forcing them to look away. The ground beneath them shook violently, and the air was filled with the deafening roar of the explosions.

When the light finally faded, the dragon remained, hovering in the void of space, its glowing red eyes fixed on the Dreadnought. It let out another roar, a challenge to the massive ship and its crew.

[Hostile objective is still standing. Launching second wave of nuclear missiles.]

[Hostile objective is too far from main cannon range. Starting to ascend.]

The Liberator's engines roared as it began its ascent into space, its massive frame breaking free of the planet's gravity.

As it climbed, it unleashed another wave of nuclear missiles, their fiery trails streaking through the void toward the dragon. The dragon, however, was already preparing its next move.

Its jaws opened wide, a deep red glow building in its throat as it began to charge its devastating laser beam. It kept its distance from the missiles while buying time to fully charge its attack.

"Target coordinates locked. Firing Cleopatra's main cannons," Cleo's voice echoed through the comms. Her physical body remained in Rex's arms as her consciousness transferred to the Cleopatra's systems.

She manually aimed the massive cannons, firing them with precision. The shots struck the dragon's head with pinpoint accuracy, but the creature barely flinched.

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"Impact confirmed. Damage... null," Cleo reported, her tone calm but tinged with frustration. The dragon didn't even acknowledge the attack; its focus was entirely on the incoming missiles.

With a roar, it unleashed its fully charged laser beam, sweeping it across the void to intercept the nuclear warheads. The beam detonated the missiles in a series of blinding explosions, their shockwaves rippling through space.

But the dragon wasn't done. It turned its laser beam toward the Cleopatra, the red light slicing through the darkness.

The beam struck the Cleopatra's shields, causing them to flicker and strain under the immense energy. Thankfully, the shields held, but the attack was a stark reminder of the dragon's overwhelming power.

[Liberator resumes attacks.]

The Liberator, now in range, unleashed the full might of its arsenal. Its cannons and turrets roared to life, raining down a relentless barrage of energy blasts and explosive projectiles onto the dragon. The creature roared in annoyance, its metallic wings spreading wide as it prepared to retaliate.

"Liberator, you're being targeted by railgun cannons. Your shields won't withstand the next attack. Initiate a warp jump," Cleo ordered, her voice sharp and urgent.

[Understood. Initiating warp jump. 10... 9... 8...]

The countdown began, the Liberator's systems whirring as it prepared to jump. The dragon, however, wasn't about to let its prey escape. Its railgun cannons glowed with energy, the projectiles charging as it locked onto the Dreadnought.

[7... 6... 5...]

The dragon fired its railguns, the silver projectiles streaking through the void like comets. The Liberator's shields absorbed some of the impacts, but a few projectiles pierced through, striking the hull with devastating force.

[4... 3... 2...]

The Dreadnought's systems flickered as the railgun projectiles tore through its armor. Fires erupted across its surface, and alarms blared throughout the ship. But the warp drive held.

[1... Initiating warp.]

The Liberator's form distorted, its massive frame shimmering as it vanished from space. The dragon's railgun projectiles passed through the empty space where the Dreadnought had been moments before.

The Liberator reappeared in orbit above one of the other faction's fleets, its hull still smoldering from the dragon's attack. Emergency repair drones swarmed over the damaged sections, extinguishing fires and patching breaches.

[Internal damage detected. Initiating emergency repair drones.]

The crew of the Liberator worked frantically to stabilize the ship, their voices tense but focused. Meanwhile, the fleet below was thrown into chaos.

"W-why the hell did it appear above us!?" one of the faction commanders shouted, his voice filled with panic.

"Quickly, shoot it down!" another ordered, his ships scrambling to target the Liberator.

"Those bastards are trying to lure the dragon to us!" a third voice cried, his tone laced with fury.

"Prepare the warp! We need to get out of here, now!" the first commander shouted out, his fleet already maneuvering to escape.

The Liberator, still recovering from the dragon's attack, loomed over the fleet like a specter. The other factions, now caught in the crossfire, were left scrambling to respond to the sudden threat.

Rex and Cleo watched the chaos unfold from the planet's surface, their expressions grim. "Well, that didn't go as planned," Rex said, his voice dry.

Cleo's golden eyes narrowed as she analyzed the situation. "The dragon is more intelligent than we anticipated. It's adapting to our tactics."

Rex smirked, his wings flaring slightly. "Then we'll just have to outsmart it. Let's see how it handles a little chaos of its own."

"Do you have a plan already?" Cleo asked, her golden eyes fixed on Rex's face. She was back in her main body after the failed shot from the Cleopatra, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern.

Rex grinned, his white wings flaring slightly as he landed on the ground and gently set Cleo down.

"Indeed, I do. It seems the dragon is drawn to whoever's the most annoying, right now, that's the Liberator. But what if I become even more annoying and use the dragon to attack the other fleets?" His smile turned devilish, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Cleo raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Rex's grin widened. "I'll need your full support for this. Transfer yourself into my core. I'm going to need that giant transformation if I want this plan to succeed."

Cleo studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Understood." She turned to the nearby Tyrant unit, her voice firm. "Tyrant, protect my body at all costs."

The Tyrant unit saluted, its mechanical voice echoing. [Understood. Protecting the princess body.]

With that, Cleo's form shimmered, her consciousness leaving her physical body and merging with Rex's core. The moment she fused with him, a surge of energy coursed through his system, his white wings glowing brighter than ever.

[Overdrive activated... releasing limiters... increasing energy output... activating Kaelzar Battle Mechanoid Form.]