Saint Maximus remained at the farthest edge of the retreating formation—the last wall between the Hive and the human fleet.
His ace swordsman mecha, now battle-scarred and glowing dimly, stood guard as thousands of allied mechas fell back. Despite having long broken his physical limits, despite his willpower hanging by a thread, Maximus held the line.
His once-mighty kilometer-wide domain had shrunk to a trembling 400 meters, flickering and unstable. Yet, it still served as a secondary barrier, augmenting the mecha's shielding system and keeping the enemy at bay. The energy link fed from the fleet's auxiliary reactors allowed him to barely remain operational.
Saint Maximus, panting within the cockpit, clenched his teeth and forced his body to keep moving.
