The Chrome Anvil's Legacy

Chapter 20

The roar of the crowd was a physical wave, buffeting Will as he floated in the pilot’s chair of the *Chronos Anvil*. It wasn’t just a mech; it was a symphony of chrome and ingenuity, a testament to every sleepless night, every desperate gamble, every perverted daydream he’d ever indulged in. Across the vast arena, silhouetted against the blinding artificial sun, stood Silas Vance’s masterpiece, the *Serpent’s Maw*. It was a hulking monstrosity, all jagged angles and predatory claws, radiating an aura of pure, unadulterated malice. This was it. The culmination of everything.

“You really think that… *thing*… can stand against my Serpent’s Maw, Will?” Silas’s voice, amplified through the arena’s speakers, dripped with smug disdain. “I’ve spent years perfecting this beast. Years of *real* engineering, not some hack job cobbled together from stolen dreams and cheap scrap.”