This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

Suddenly Kain recalled that after Aegis seemed to extract the abyssal energy from the target and reshape it for his own use, Abyssal creatures seemed to have no means of manipulating it any more. Perhaps they could make use of that?

"Aegis," Kain said, his voice steady despite the desperation clawing at him. "Instead of draining the energy as it comes into the machine, can you let it through, but focus on converting it into your own use? Of course, you don't need to fully convert the abyssal energy into that stone you've been making, start with little changes to its properties and we'll go from there after seeing the effect.
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Aegis tilted his head, his glowing eyes meeting Kain's. "I… can try."

"Do it," Kain urged. "We'll buy you time."

Benji and Mira didn't need to be told twice. They launched another barrage of attacks, their contracts unleashing everything they had to keep the machine's defenses occupied. Sera reinforced their weapons once more, though her face was pale with exertion.

Aegis stepped forward again, his tendrils latching onto the machine's surface. This time, instead of draining its and taking it away from the machine energy, he focused on just trying to gain control of the energy without redirecting its path.

Aegis' tendrils pulsed with a faint, almost imperceptible glow as they latched onto the war machine's surface. The machine, sensing the sudden lack of resistance, eagerly guzzled more energy from its surroundings.

The veins of abyssal energy running through its structure flared brighter, the hum of its core growing louder and more erratic. It was as if the machine was reveling in its newfound freedom, unaware of the poison it was consuming.

Kain watched with bated breath, his grip tightening on his spear—either this plan worked or they may have just sent the city to its doom with their own hands.

The air around them crackled with tension, the battlefield momentarily frozen as everyone waited to see what would happen next. Even the Abyssal creatures seemed to pause, their glowing eyes fixed on the war machine as if sensing something was wrong.

"Is it working?" Mira questioned fearfully as the core's brightness continued to increase.

"It must be!" Kain replied firmly, though he wasn't entirely sure. The machine's core was glowing brighter than ever, its energy swirling chaotically within. Aegis' influence was subtle, almost invisible, but Kain could feel it through their bond—a faint, steady pressure as Aegis slowly altered the properties of the energy flowing into the machine. At least visually, while the incoming abyssal energy wasn't made into stone, it definitely took on a more viscous, lava-like consistency as it flowed into the machine.

The machine didn't seem to notice. It continued to draw in energy, its core pulsing with an almost greedy intensity. The ground beneath it began to tremble, cracks spreading outward as the machine's power grew unchecked. The air grew heavy, charged with an oppressive energy that made it hard to breathe.

"What's happening?" Mira asked, her voice tinged with unease. Her wind contracts circled above her, their movements agitated.

"I don't know," Kain admitted, his eyes never leaving the machine. "But if Aegis' plan works, it's not going to end well for that thing."

As if on cue, the machine's core began to flicker, its light shifting from a steady red to a chaotic mix of colors—gold, purple, and black. The hum of its power grew louder, more discordant, like a symphony falling out of tune.

The veins of energy running through its surface pulsed erratically, their rhythm breaking down as the machine struggled to maintain control.

"It's destabilizing. At least it looks like it is" Benji said, a hint of hope in his voice.

But the machine wasn't going down without a fight. Its surface shifted, forming jagged spikes that lashed out at Aegis, trying to destroy the thing it recognized as the cause for its repeated struggles.

One of the spikes pierced through his obsidian-like body, and Kain felt a sharp pain through their bond. Aegis didn't falter, his focus unwavering as he continued to manipulate the energy flowing into the machine.

The machine's core began to glow brighter, its light almost blinding. The air around it crackled with power, and Kain sensed through the bond that they were running out of time.

"Get back!" Kain shouted, grabbing Benji and Sera who were the closest to him, and pulling them away from the machine. Mira followed, her eyes wide with fear.

Aegis remained where he was, his tendrils still latched onto the machine. With a final, deafening roar, the war machine's core exploded, sending a shockwave of energy rippling through the battlefield. The force of the blast knocked them off their feet, and Kain hit the ground hard, his ears ringing.

When the dust settled, the war machine was nothing more than a smoldering wreck, its core completely destroyed. Aegis stood amidst the debris, his body cracked and scorched, a third of it gone, but still alive. It was moments like this when the advantage Aegis' core being microscopic and also easily moveable in his body became apparent. As long as a small debris particle containing his microscopic core remained, he could theoretically recover given enough time and resources.

Aegis had managed to form a shield at the last moment, protecting Kain and the others from the worst of the blast.

Kain let out a shaky breath, his heart still pounding. They had taken down one war machine, but the cost had been high. And as the sound of another war machine discharging its beam echoed across the battlefield, followed by the deafening crash of collapsing stone, Kain knew their fight was far from over.

"We need to take out the others," Kain said, his voice filled with urgency. "Even if we managed to take one down, it won't count for much if the others are still in operation."

Benji nodded, his expression grim. "Let's move. We'll regroup with the others and take them down one by one."

As they raced toward the next war machine, Kain couldn't shake the conflicting feelings of dread and hope that settled in his chest. The Abyssals were relentless, and their war machines were only the beginning—after all, the true top-level combat power of each side, the Demigods, still hadn't appeared.