The hivemind is conquering for me? Chapter 768: A Battles Aftermath

After yanking Zircon free from a Drakoshi's throat—her latest favored treat—I abruptly noticed the silence enveloping me once again. Or nearly so. Nearby, cries of pain echoed from men and women, some begging for help, others pleading for merciful death.

As the adrenaline rush faded, I felt my whole body surging with heavy breaths. Zircon fell to my side as I sank to one knee.

"Apollo!" Gabrielle cried out, dashing toward me, yet I lifted my hand to halt her. Just a brief pause to steady myself was needed.

Shutting my eyes, I concentrated solely on my breaths, blocking out the noise. With each inhale, I drew in Psionic energy.

"You performed outstandingly today, my kindled. Amid all this devastation and roaring flames, you surpassed even my loftiest hopes. I'm immensely proud and cherish you deeply." Sol's voice reached me, coaxing a smile onto my lips moments later.

My helmet was then lifted from my armor, revealing a stunning pair of green eyes gazing down. Onyx ran her fingers through my hair before pressing her lips to mine. She'd just devoured... whatever it was, but it didn't matter. Her touch was what I craved.

Yet she drew away swiftly. No passion fueled her gesture; she was anchoring me, restoring calm after a full day of relentless combat. Offering her hand, she aided me in rising, my stance now far more solid.

A smile graced her face before she vanished without a word. I sensed her slipping into my Mindspace, shifting to stalker form, then curling up beside my Origin for some much-earned torpor.

Securing my helmet once more, two relieved sighs reached my ears, and I faced their sources. "Apollo, are you alright?" Nerissa inquired.

I gave a nod. "Yeah, apologies. My body only just registered the battle's end. Combat stims block out fatigue, so with that final kill and them fading together... No clue how I managed sword and board all day. And you two? Holding up okay?"

Gabrielle sheathed her hook swords and slumped onto her backside. "Apollo, you've got incredible endurance. Fighting alongside you today fills me with pride. I'm proud of your feats here. Proud of you."

Gabrielle's praise lodged a lump in my throat, though I stayed silent as Nerissa scanned the area.

"Apollo, your duties aren't finished yet."

Those words ignited my battle instincts; I dropped into a fighting pose, eyes darting alertly everywhere.

"Stand down, my lord. We require our leader now, not the fighter." Nerissa's serene, calming tone sent soothing vibrations through me.

I laughed lightly at my overreaction. "Sorry. Adrenaline's a potent rush. What's this task ahead?"

Glancing at the surrounding slaughter after my question, Nerissa spoke. "Apollo, we've claimed a massive triumph today. That opening mixed unit strategy, our spearhead charge. Your unyielding attacks, never retreating. Phalanx witnesses will spread tales of your valor already. They'll hail you hero. And rightly so."

The term made me wince. Self-proclaiming hero status fit only for boastful chats with intimates, private thoughts, or soothing frightened kids.

Even behind my helmet, Nerissa discerned my grimace and pressed on. "Whether you accept it or not, that's your role today. Tour the fort. Your armor remains pristine, merely bloodied. Embodying might, you must display it."

Gabrielle chimed in. "Nerissa's spot on. Military life's been my world since adulthood. The Phalanx are tough; they'd clash again tomorrow without hesitation. But you? Morale skyrockets. Their front-line leader, unscathed by Drakoshi after slaying likely thousands alone—just weary... For the survivors, please."

Gabrielle unleashed pleading puppy eyes that nearly felled me. Turning to Nerissa, I glowered. "I despise spotlights, and you've saddled me with a war idol status. You'll pay for this, remember that." I vowed, sensing her smug grin beneath the mask.

"Ugh, fine. Let’s do this." I channeled my Thermokinesis across my body and the standard on my back, swiftly purging the grime that coated me from head to toe. Another glance at the shield they gave me showed shocking damage, but it still stood firm. I had heard of Damatrium several times before, though I never wielded it myself. I must get my hands on more...

’If I could get some to feed Zircon and my armour... Oh yeah.’

I nodded, tightened the strap on my arm to finally unclench my hand after endless hours, picked up Zircon again, then placed a foot on a tactical Drakoshi and turned to my friends.

"So? How do I look?"

"Heroic/Sexy" The duo replied together, and I laughed at their answer.

"Come on then. Let’s check on all those still alive and see if they truly ’need’ my presence."

...

Corpses littered the ground everywhere. No direction I turned lacked the sight of bodies, whether Drakoshi or human. Certain remains were so mangled that distinguishing them proved impossible. Not long ago, the view and stench of such massive death would have forced me to vomit.

The scene hadn’t dulled my senses yet; it still stabbed at my heart. Death didn’t sit well with me, yet I managed to suppress it. Endure it. And it looked like I had no choice.

The Phalanx labored tirelessly, stacking the bodies.

Drakoshi received flames while Phalanx got sorted via identifiers. Some headed off-world for burial with kin or to spots like Ecumenopolis 5, mortuary realms, whereas others faced the Drakoshi rite of purifying fire.

Those charred remains offered me greater ease than the rest. It felt as if Sol harnessed their essence for one last farewell. That idea appealed to me. It brought a measure of peace.

As I strode through it all, one fact stood out starkly. Regardless of who they were, my passage silenced the area. Some dropped to their knees in my presence, others bowed or saluted, yet the reverence they displayed, the gaze in their eyes.

Their thoughts reached me. A couple of telepathic scans verified it. Every single one harbored the same notion.

’I am alive because of you.’

Even the gravely wounded paused, no matter the medics’ efforts to stop them, to recognize me before resuming their agony.

Truthfully, I stood amazed. The way these ordinary folks clung to life despite their injuries filled me with pride for humanity. Each soldier who pulled through today spat defiantly at the Drakoshi. That realization let me press on, chin up the entire time.

Further east as I walked, I spotted a familiar face. Knight Captain Cassian.

The Knight’s mech lay in ruins. Its shield arm had vanished. The chassis bore gashes across every inch, with sparks bursting occasionally. The Knight shifted debris and corpses, caked in filth. Spotting my approach, he saluted. From his stance, I glimpsed the pilot within. A man in his early forties, blonde locks soaked in blood, a wide slash on his face that appeared self-seared.

I chuckled to myself; even his flesh suit yelled ’knight’.

"Captain. I’m glad to see you alive." I said approaching him.

"And I you, Lord Sentinel. Though I look far rougher than you do, and... that standard still flies proud. Forgive me, but I thought it ruined beyond fixing by now. This proves your prowess, my lord. I’m honored to fight on two battlefields beside you."

"It remains undamaged, Captain, for I never turned my back on the foe today. Such an act would insult you and every valiant soldier who fell. Though..."

I reached up, drew the standard free, and thrust its base into the soil between us.

"I return it to your order now, proud to have etched myself into its legacy."