The threat from the Arasaka white whale aircraft carrier battle group has been temporarily neutralized.
On the outskirts of Wasteland Town, the Guard Corps Heavy Guardsman led by Sekhmet carried out a standard, efficient cleansing advance, reducing the enemy forces and their equipment to scorched earth and twisted metal wreckage.
Inside the workshop control room, Osiris' crimson optical lenses scanned the final battlefield assessment data transmitted by the sensors.
Smoke still slowly settled in the air, but the energy signals representing enemy units had almost completely disappeared.
Facing this outcome, his processing core did not generate emotional fluctuations like "satisfaction" or "relaxation."
For him, destroying an invading army was no different from clearing accumulated dust from a workbench—merely a necessary preparatory step before achieving the main objective.
As an Adeptus Mechanicus Exploration Archmagos, over centuries of archaeological excavation and countless expeditions across the stars, Osiris had long since summarized and solidified a core operational logic: either do not intervene at all, or once the decision to act is made, the problem must be resolved at its root.
Any remaining hidden dangers or unextinguished sparks could evolve into a disaster at a critical juncture in the future, thereby engulfing the entire plan.
Half-hearted efforts and indecisiveness were fatal enemies of efficiency, and an immense waste and desecration of precious resources.
Based on extensive data analysis of Arasaka's behavioral patterns, Osiris had clearly identified it: this colossal corporation was like a poisonous vine with roots deeply embedded in the soil of greed and violence.
Merely pruning its exposed branches was far from fatal.
It would inevitably accumulate strength in the shadows, draw nourishment, and spread again, perhaps even becoming more vigilant and aggressive after being wounded.
Therefore, summoning Sekhmet and fifty Guard Corps was merely the first step.
They were precise tools used to clear the current work area. To completely sever Arasaka's roots spread across the globe, a more decisive force was needed.
His solution pointed to the knights of the Astoria Family.
Imperial Knights were not iron-clad cavalry, as some ordinary people hearing the term for the first time might imagine, but rather large knight mechas, typically nine to twelve meters tall, resembling mobile fortresses.
They were terrifying presences in the Imperial ground forces, second only to the machine-gods—the Titans.
Each knight mecha was a combination of technology and tradition, passed down, revered, and piloted by knight families with ancient bloodlines for generations.
They were equipped with thunderous autocannons, melta weapons capable of incinerating anything, and heavy melee weapons sufficient to cleave main battle tanks, while their sturdy ion shields could withstand direct hits from most conventional firepower.
These steel giants were the ideal tools for executing the "thorough solution" plan.
Their firepower and protection were sufficient to crush any known military force in the Cyberpunk World and could perform surgical precision strikes or complete physical annihilation against Arasaka's core domestic infrastructure—such as military bases, R&D centers, and headquarters buildings.
However, teleporting such massive war machines across dimensions faced two practical constraints.
Firstly, he needed the knights of the Astoria Family and their support team to first arrive at the Death World base, which served as a transit point.
Secondly, and more critically, the existing space within his workshop and the transmission efficiency of the dimensional teleporter were not yet sufficient to safely teleport knight mechas with an average height exceeding nine meters.
He had to design and construct a larger, more stable portal array, which would take time.
While waiting for the Astoria Family to respond to the summons and preparing for the construction of the large portal, Osiris decided to first execute a phased cleansing mission.
He could not allow Arasaka any breathing room, nor could he let them mistakenly believe that their previous defeat was merely an accident, or that he was incapable of expanding the results of the battle.
Continuously applying irresistible pressure was, in itself, an effective strategy.
"Sekhmet," his voice, via an encrypted data link, went directly into the processing core of the Skitarii Corps commander, who was conducting post-battle patrols on the battlefield.
"Lord Archmagos," Sekhmet immediately responded, the tip of her arc spear still emitting a faint glow after the dissipation of high-energy particles.
"Target change. Lead your team to the coordinate area 'Arasaka Waterfront.'" Osiris sent a data packet of the complex structure on the Night City map, located in the bay area and marked as Arasaka's main logistics and transportation hub: "Any targets along the way that show hostile intent or pose a potential threat are authorized for complete elimination.
Final mission: destroy all infrastructure, stored materials, and defensive forces of this hub."
"Directive confirmed. Purging protocol extended to designated coordinates. All obstacles shall be eradicated," Sekhmet responded without the slightest hesitation, only with unconditional acceptance of the mission.
—
Upon receiving the new directive, Sekhmet made no superfluous mobilization or announcement.
She simply distributed the new target coordinates and operational outline instantly to the processing unit of every Heavy Guardsman via the Guard Corps' internal data link.
Fifty Heavy Guardsman, along with their commander, like a precisely reprogrammed instrument, immediately changed their mode of action.
They abandoned the trivial task of continuing to clear scattered resistance at the edges of the battlefield and re-formed into a compact wedge-shaped assault formation.
The pale golden resonance shields were reactivated, enveloping the entire square formation, with stable energy patterns flowing.
Then, this steel phalanx began to march towards Night City with heavy and uniform steps.
Their movement speed was not fast, one might even say steady, but the dull thud of each step, as metal boot soles struck the scorched ground, seemed to pound on the hearts of distant observers.
It was a physical manifestation of an unstoppable, unwavering will to advance.
Arasaka's command system was clearly not completely paralyzed.
Radar on the white whale and surviving observation posts on the front line immediately detected the abnormal movement of this small but high-energy-response unit.
"Warning! Unknown high-energy unit cluster has left the original engagement area and is moving towards the urban area along the Branch Line 7 highway! Predicted path... points to the port district!" The technical officer's voice in the Arasaka command channel carried a hint of alarm.
Takayama Shintaro watched the real-time footage on the bridge, his face ashen.
He tried to understand the enemy's intention: "What do they want? Fifty people want to attack Night City? Or do they want to destroy our logistics nodes?"
Yorinobu Arasaka stood by, silent. His plans had been complicated by the unexpected appearance of these powerful units, but he was pleased to see Arasaka's strength further depleted. He merely watched coldly, observing how Takayama would respond.
"We can't let them get close to the port district!" Takayama Shintaro finally made a decision, "Arasaka Waterfront is our lifeline! Order all mobile units, including the Coastal Defense Force and Urban Rapid Response units, to intercept them at all costs! Deal with them outside the city!"
More orders were issued.
Arasaka forces originally deployed around Night City to guard against NUSA or internal unrest were urgently mobilized.
Tanks, armored vehicles, transport helicopters laden with soldiers, and oni power armor withdrawn from other defense lines, like a disturbed swarm of bees, converged from all directions towards the Guard Corps' path of advance.
However, the technological gap could not be compensated for by numbers and a desperate will to fight.