The moment the dragon spotted the Dreadnought Liberator and saw its weapons targeting it, the massive creature opened its jaws wide. Its throat began to glow with a dangerous red light, and the energy around it seemed to warp and twist as it was drawn into the dragon''s mouth. The air crackled with power, and the ground trembled beneath its feet.

    [Hostile actions detected. Firing all weapons.]

    The Liberator''s cannons and turrets roared to life, lighting up the misty sky with a barrage of energy blasts and explosive projectiles. The fireworks of destruction slammed into the dragon''s metallic body, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. But the dragon didn''t falter.

    Instead, it unleashed a devastating red laser beam from its mouth, the sheer force of the attack disintegrating the incoming projectiles mid-air. The beam struck the Dreadnought''s shields, causing them to flicker and strain under the immense pressure.

    For several tense minutes, the dragon''s laser beam raged against the Dreadnought, the two titans locked in a deadly standoff. Finally, the beam subsided, leaving behind a trail of smoke curling from the dragon''s jaws.

    It stared at the Dreadnought, its glowing red eyes filled with malice and intelligence.

    Rex and Cleo emerged from the fortress, flying at full speed just as the dragon''s attack ended. They landed on a nearby ridge, their eyes fixed on the colossal creature.

    "Cleo, don''t tell me that thing was part of the Kaelzar military," Rex said, his voice tinged with disbelief as he stared at the dragon.

    "I don''t know," Cleo admitted, her golden eyes narrowing as she analyzed the creature. "I don''t have any data on such beings. Even as a princess, it''s impossible for me to know everything about the Kaelzar Empire."

    [Threat level escalated to Level 3. Proceeding to use nuclear armament.]

    The Liberator''s AI system made the decision to escalate its response. The Dreadnought''s missile hangars opened, revealing rows of nuclear warheads. The AI had determined that the dragon posed a significant threat, one that could potentially damage the Dreadnought in a prolonged battle.

    "Not good! Everyone, take cover! Shields at maximum output!" Cleo commanded through the comms, her voice sharp and urgent. She grabbed Rex''s hand and pulled him back toward the fortress, her instincts screaming at her to find shelter.

    The Dreadnought launched nearly sixty nuclear missiles, their engines igniting as they streaked through the sky. Half of the smart-seeking missiles locked onto the dragon, their trajectories unwavering as they closed in on their target.

    The dragon let out a deafening roar, its massive wings unfurling with a thunderous snap. With a powerful flap, it launched itself into the sky, flying away from the planet''s surface as if it didn''t want the fortress or whatever lay beneath it to be damaged by the impending explosions.

    "Look out there! What is that!?" a soldier of the other forces shouted, his voice filled with terror.

    "What the hell is that monstrosity!?" another cried, his weapon trembling in his hands.

    "Could it be the same creature the megacorps have been hunting?!" a third voice added, panic spreading through the ranks.

    As the dragon reached a safe distance, its metallic scales began to shift and open, revealing glowing red lights beneath. The lights pulsed with energy, and within seconds, laser beams erupted from the dragon''s body, streaking through the void of space.

    The beams struck the incoming nuclear missiles, detonating them in a series of blinding explosions just outside the planet''s atmosphere.

    The resulting shockwave was catastrophic. The explosions lit up the sky like a second sun, their brilliance overwhelming sensors and blinding anyone who dared to look directly at them.

    The force of the detonations destroyed anything within a few kilometers of the blast radius, including several enemy ships that had been too close.

    [1... Initiating warp.]

    The Liberator''s form distorted, its massive frame shimmering as it vanished from space. The dragon''s railgun projectiles passed through the empty space where the Dreadnought had been moments before.

    The Liberator reappeared in orbit above one of the other faction''s fleets, its hull still smoldering from the dragon''s attack. Emergency repair drones swarmed over the damaged sections, extinguishing fires and patching breaches.

    [Internal damage detected. Initiating emergency repair drones.]

    The crew of the Liberator worked frantically to stabilize the ship, their voices tense but focused. Meanwhile, the fleet below was thrown into chaos.

    "W-why the hell did it appear above us!?" one of the faction commanders shouted, his voice filled with panic.

    "Quickly, shoot it down!" another ordered, his ships scrambling to target the Liberator.

    "Those bastards are trying to lure the dragon to us!" a third voice cried, his tone laced with fury.

    "Prepare the warp! We need to get out of here, now!" the first commander shouted out, his fleet already maneuvering to escape.

    The Liberator, still recovering from the dragon''s attack, loomed over the fleet like a specter. The other factions, now caught in the crossfire, were left scrambling to respond to the sudden threat.

    Rex and Cleo watched the chaos unfold from the planet''s surface, their expressions grim. "Well, that didn''t go as planned," Rex said, his voice dry.

    Cleo''s golden eyes narrowed as she analyzed the situation. "The dragon is more intelligent than we anticipated. It''s adapting to our tactics."

    Rex smirked, his wings flaring slightly. "Then we''ll just have to outsmart it. Let''s see how it handles a little chaos of its own."

    "Do you have a plan already?" Cleo asked, her golden eyes fixed on Rex''s face. She was back in her main body after the failed shot from the Cleopatra, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern.

    Rex grinned, his white wings flaring slightly as he landed on the ground and gently set Cleo down.

    "Indeed, I do. It seems the dragon is drawn to whoever''s the most annoying, right now, that''s the Liberator. But what if I become even more annoying and use the dragon to attack the other fleets?" His smile turned devilish, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

    Cleo raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "And how do you plan to do that?"

    Rex''s grin widened. "I''ll need your full support for this. Transfer yourself into my core. I''m going to need that giant transformation if I want this plan to succeed."

    Cleo studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Understood." She turned to the nearby Tyrant unit, her voice firm. "Tyrant, protect my body at all costs."

    The Tyrant unit saluted, its mechanical voice echoing. [Understood. Protecting the princess body.]

    With that, Cleo''s form shimmered, her consciousness leaving her physical body and merging with Rex''s core. The moment she fused with him, a surge of energy coursed through his system, his white wings glowing brighter than ever.

    [Overdrive activated... releasing limiters... increasing energy output... activating Kaelzar Battle Mechanoid Form.]