The sound of wind rushing through trees that weren't there filled the hallway.

"Great, just what we needed." Og'drimun complained as he hid behind Lulu.

Trizel, Sentenza, Nugget, Lulu, and Og'drimun were standing opposite to three figures. The one-eyed scout they had seen before stood in between two new faces.

To the left of the cyclops was a strangely rusted machine. It had almost a skeletal look to it. With tubes and wires clearly connecting its various parts and supplying whatever it used to power itself. Its forearms were nothing more than straight bars with three wire thin fingers on the ends that circled a large hole.

This machine had two small round eyes on its head and looked almost like a skull that had lost its lower jaw. Round cylinders stuck out of its body in strange places, like its hip, both shoulders, and even to the side of its head. It seemed to have been green at one point, but the paint was faded and mostly replaced with rust. However, there was still a clear symbol printed on its chest and an armored elbow joint on its right arm. It was the Greek symbol Theta, and it stood out in slightly smeared white.

The other new machine was very different. It was a matte black color and looked almost like a human with no skin. Well defined muscles contoured its large, masculine form. Every sinew on full display with a few differences. It had small cylinders on its elbows, the center of its chest, its hips, knees, and where its neck met its shoulders.

These cylinders barely rose above the rest of the body, and they had a small indent in them. It also had tubes protruding from its biceps and connecting into its forearm. Its knuckles looked especially thick, and several parts that looked like muscles were clearly some type of armor. Around its neck was a crystal necklace that twinkled in the magical light of the hallway.

But its face truly cemented how inhuman it was. It was almost like a gas mask without any eyes. It had half a dozen, thick tubes protruding from where its mouth should be that wrapped around its neck and pierced into it in two neat rows along its back.

Trizel cracked his neck. "So, you brought reinforcements?" he declared as he stretched his injured body. "I hope they are tougher than you."

Sentenza glanced behind them as the smell of stale blood grew stronger. He dug around in his pocket until he pulled out a cigarillo and popped it into his mouth. As he lit it, he glanced over at the three machines. "I'm guessing you kids don't know what this place is for, do you?"

There was no response. The three of them just stood there. Almost like they were waiting for something.

"These aren't the best odds," Lulu sighed as she tapped a bat against the ground. "At least that clown left me something useful this time," she muttered.

"You overestimate them." Trizel said firmly. "They lack the most important thing. The heart of a warrior. We crushed the massive beast they sent after us. We have conquered every trap they have tried to spring on us, and we will conquer them too."

"How motivational," Sentenza said sarcastically as he let out a small puff of smoke.

BANG!

In a flash, Sentenza drew and fired the magical, ancient revolver at the one-eyed machine. But, as quickly as he moved, the muscular machine stepped in front of the path of the bullet. It landed against his pecs and seemed to not affect him at all. But, a second after the bullet flattened against him, he went flying back into the cyclops.

Sentenza didn't let up. He continued to unleash bullet after bullet. His instigation prompted Trizel, Nugget, and Lulu to leap into action as well. Og'drimun put on a brave face, but was doing everything he could to hide out of site of the intimidating machines.

It was a one-sided fight. Trizel leapt at them with unrelenting passion and fury. Sentenza unleashed a barrage of bullets with a cold efficiency. Lulu aimed all her attacks at weak spots, like behind the knee, groins, funny bones, and so on. Nugget of course fought with the expertise of a master martial artist.

The strangest part was that their three opponents never struck back. Not once did they attempt to do anything other than defend against their attacks. Calm, and efficient, they blocked, parried, and simply took the assaults.

After almost a minute of attacking, Trizel and Lulu had both started to get winded. Meanwhile, the machines showed no signs of slowing whatsoever. However, through some careful maneuvering by Sentenza, the groups had effectively switched places. With the machines facing where they had come from, and progress through the hallway now behind the backs of the others. Without any of the guardians in their way either.

As everything grew unnervingly quiet, Sentenza smirked. "Pull back to me and regroup," he said calmly as he reloaded his pistol. "We need to try something else."

Trizel didn't say anything, but he did shoot a nasty glare back at Sentenza for a brief moment before he continued to attack with everything he had. It was clear that he had no plans to stop anytime soon.

"Urk!" The cyclops let out a surprised, and wet gurgle as Bakade appeared behind him with her claw already through his chest.

"Ah good, the reinforcements made it," Sentenza joked. He glanced at Trizel and let out a sigh. "I guess we're continuing this attack."

"Alright. Let's see if we can take at least one of them out!" Lulu cheered.

"y...yeah! Go team," Og'drimun cheered from far away from the fighting.

A shrill beeping rang out and the machine's glowing eyes flashed in sync with each beep.

CRACK!

The muscular machine leaped forward and sent a fist into Trizel's stomach that sent him flying back.

The cyclops turned its head around completely and stared at Bakade as it grabbed her hand firmly with its own claw. It clamped down tightly as its one eye stared at Bakade's skull.

The scrawny one held its arm up and a massive shell fired from the hollow barrel that shattered Lulu's bat into splinters. Lulu winced as she was barely able to turn her face away in time to avoid being peppered with the tiny shards of wood.

The time of the machines being on the defensive seemed to be at an end as they quickly worked to finish off their opponents.