Scarlet lightning tore through the workshop with a deafening crack. The blazing blade split the air, aimed squarely at Babbage's throat.
But despite Mordred's sudden assault, Babbage remained still. He didn't defend, didn't dodge. He simply kept the branding iron—still embedded with the Philosopher's Stone—pressed against the core on his chest.
Just as the radiant Clarent was about to take his head, a massive steel shield abruptly burst from the core on his chest, rising to intercept the blow and absorbing the brunt of the strike.
And then—it began.
From the same core, metal began to grow—crawling, expanding, assembling. It sprouted like living tissue, segment after segment snapping into place, forming complex mechanisms that clicked and locked together. In seconds, it had fully enveloped Babbage's body.
In just a few heartbeats, he had transformed into the towering steel colossus from his game depiction—a hulking, 2.5-meter-tall figure clad in full mechanical armor. The shield that blocked Mordred's attack now served as his chestplate.
"…Seriously? What is this, Iron Man? Just stomp on a box and boom—instant transformation?" Gawain muttered, shaking his head.
A deep, metallic voice rumbled out from within the iron shell.
"I can embed 'seeds' into any piece of metal I forge. With the right conditions, they will grow according to the blueprints I've programmed into them."
"Furthermore, constructs created via these metal seeds far outperform their manually built counterparts."
"What you see now is the combat body I originally designed to merge with my Saint Graph… Of course, thanks to current enhancements, this steel body now exceeds all original specifications."
"My natural Strength and Endurance were rated B, and Agility only D. But with this armor's growth mechanism, Strength and Endurance get a '++' boost. After the latest enhancements, they now reach '+++'."
"Even if I lack other powers, my raw strength alone is enough to rival top-tier Servants."
"This is the result of fusing my Nightmare Authority with my own mechanical expertise."
Gawain blinked, visibly stunned. "You're just gonna say all that out loud? You trying to throw the fight?"
"No need for secrets. With your observational skills, you would've figured it out soon enough," Babbage replied flatly.
Then, as if to emphasize his point, the steel behemoth reached to the side with fingers as thick as plates and daintily picked up the smithing hammer he'd dropped earlier, pinching it between two fingers.
"But understanding theory is meaningless if you can't put it into practice," he continued.
"Do you have the power to overcome this strength?"
As he spoke, metal extended from the hammer's handle, forming a long shaft. At the same time, massive gears bloomed around the hammerhead—layer after interlocking layer—until the weapon stood nearly three meters long, exuding the brutal beauty of cold industrial violence.
He slammed the hammer into the ground with a heavy thud.
"Come," he intoned.
"Let us begin."
At that very moment, a familiar chime echoed in Gawain's ears, and a system prompt lit up in his vision:
[Special Subjugation Quest Triggered: Nightmare Avatar VI – Adonis, the Blind Prince Clouded by Arrogance]
In this dream-corrupted London, where a god has descended upon the summoning grounds, you've encountered one of the Nightmare Avatars—Dr. Charles Babbage, a mastermind behind it all. Though noble in heart, his past decisions have shackled him to this twisted fate. Free him from his torment.
Objective: Subjugate Adonis, the Blind Prince.
Reward: +1 to a random base attribute; Rune of the Hunter – Overload.
A full exosuit powered by metal seeds… Gawain couldn't help but wonder—would the reward be Babbage's current hulking steampunk armor, or the stripped-down junkyard version he was wearing now?
No time to think.
A hiss of steam. The floor trembled.
From the depths of the workshop, Babbage charged forward—an iron titan propelled by pressurized steam vents on his back. Despite his massive frame, he surged forth like a war machine, weapon raised high.
The colossal hammer came crashing down with a roar, sweeping the air with its sheer momentum.
"Bring it on!"
Mordred's eyes gleamed. She surged forward, lightning flaring across Clarent as she met the descending hammer head-on.
"Wait—STOP—!"
Gawain shouted, but he was half a beat too late.
A shrill screech of metal rang out—followed by Mordred flying backward even faster than she'd charged in. She crashed into the wall behind Gawain, leaving a clean, person-shaped dent.
"Are you kidding me? You couldn't even try to catch me?" she groaned, clambering out of the wall, covered in dust.
"I couldn't! Do you know how heavy your armor is? If I'd tried, I'd be a pancake right now," Gawain snapped.
"Also, I did try to stop you. You really thought that guy looked like someone you could take head-on?"
"Fine, fine, quit nagging," Mordred muttered, scratching her head. "I just needed to test his strength a little."
"And?" Gawain asked, exasperated.
"He's not someone you beat by charging straight at him," she replied confidently.
"You needed to test that?!" Gawain sputtered. "His hammer is like three times your size!"
"You never know until you try," Mordred said with a shrug. "If Gawain were here, maybe he could've blocked it."
"…You know what? Fair."
Gawain paused. That was actually a good point.
He didn't know how strong the original Knight Gawain was, but he had seen the Fairy Knight Gawain—Barghest—in action. Maybe if it were her, she could've wrestled with Babbage head-on… though Babbage, powered up as he was, might still have the edge.
Not that it mattered now.
Babbage's hammer came crashing down again.
This time, Mordred had learned her lesson. She sidestepped, barely dodging the blow.
But just as she landed, another burst of steam shot out from Babbage's side vents, swiveling his massive body with mechanical precision. The hammer followed—forcing Mordred to roll out of the way again.
She barely cleared it.
But then—
A sharp cry from behind.
Followed by the sound of something massive slamming into the floor.
Mordred's heart stopped.
He'd tricked her. Babbage had never been aiming at her. His real target had been Gawain all along.
And she was too far to help.
She whipped around, bracing for the worst—
Only to see Gawain tumbling to the side, knocked away by a tiny figure who had appeared out of nowhere just in time.
"Jack!" Mordred gasped in joy and disbelief.
The petite girl climbed to her feet, grinning ear to ear. "Hehe~! Mama, Jack protected Papa! Pretty cool, huh?"
Before Mordred could reply, Babbage's voice boomed again.
"Another Servant? It makes no difference. The outcome remains unchanged."
The hammer lifted again.
"Don't you dare!"
Mordred roared, her body surging forward in a lightning blur. Clarent clashed with the warhammer—this time, managing to force Babbage back half a step.
But the price was steep.
Her arms trembled from the shock. Blood trickled from her nose and lips.
Still, she didn't stop. She grabbed Gawain under one arm and Jack under the other, ready to retreat.
Only—Jack squirmed free.
"Mama, don't worry about me! Jack can take care of herself! Just take care of Papa!"
Mordred paused. Then smiled, just a little.
From behind, Babbage's voice echoed once more:
"You can't win just by dodging. And you'll never defeat the Demon God King like this."
Steam hissed.
He advanced again.
"This won't work! Gawain, what's the plan?!"
Mordred twisted her head, shouting over her shoulder. One arm held the blazing Clarent. The other pinned Gawain tightly to her shoulder.
Unfortunately, her shoulder armor was jabbing into his gut—making him look like he was about to hurl.
Not because he was weak. He'd been strengthened twice now—his physique was well beyond that of an ordinary human.
But Mordred's armor was really not made for comfort.
"I have a plan," Gawain said, eyes shut as he gritted through the nausea. "But we'll need help from someone else."
He took a deep breath.
Then opened his eyes.
"All right. Everything's set."
"We just need to stall him for five more minutes."
"You got this, Mordred?"
"…Of course," Mordred grinned.