Sensors picked up all kinds of signals. Pockets of hostile combatants, projectiles flying overhead, and the million other things a battle brings with it. Overwhelming for an organic mind, but easily cataloged and tagged for 347's advanced AI systems. They tailored a map of everything within range, all updated in real time. It allowed 347 to avoid trees when they fell, move away from areas of heavy cannon fire, and avoid the largest groups of enemies. Everything that happened around the robot was acknowledged and taken into account. To an AI, combat isn't about skill or technique; it's just math. An opponent's swing is just an angle to be interrupted. Cannonballs are just radii to avoid. Everything that happens can be calculated and handled. Even magic. The occasional magic projectile is as easily mapped as any arrow. Math has a way of bringing everyone and everything down to a brutally basic level.
In short; 347 was getting the hang of this. He was parrying more often instead of just taking the hit. While getting hit didn't do anything, it was still progress. 347's only advantage over these soldiers had been his calculations and the fact that he could take a perpetually eternal beating. Now he could block their strikes with a weapon. He was learning.
Soon, he found himself without a foe again, having defeated or scared off the members of the current group he'd been fighting. He'd put himself in a jam, however. In his attempt to rescue a non-combatant, he'd been caught up in a large battle. He needed a way out. Perhaps the friendlies here and there needed one too. Then his sensors picked up Nyasha fleeing from a group of soldiers. On infrared, Nyasha was a glowing human silhouette running from a large mob of glowing human silhouettes. The robot pushed escaping lower down on the list of objectives and moved to intercept. It didn't take long for 347 to close the distance. His legs were able to push each stride quite far; he almost looked like he was leaping rather than running.
He began to get close to the rear of the group, near the soldiers trailing behind the group. Those were the ones that noticed him first.
"The demon's returned!"
"It cannot be killed! Flee!"
"Cowards! Don't flee, fight!"
Some of the soldiers in the group fled into the forest, although a few stayed to fight. However, the group as a whole had thinned out quite a bit at this point.
"Surrender your weapons, and you will be taken into custody unharmed."
The content of 347's warning was largely ignored over his voice and unusually calm tone. While recognizable, the AI's voice was distinctively artificial.
"Listen to it! It is an affront to the gods!"
"Surrender your weapons, and you will be taken into cu-"
347 was interrupted with a sword. The swing was blocked with the mace 347 held, but the first strike had been made and the fight broke out. The robot blocked and swung until a fireball hit the side of 347's head. The flames hit and knocked 347's head to the side a little, but otherwise did nothing. If a robot is bulletproof, then it's probably fireproof too; among other -proofs. Seeing magic enhanced flames that could melt skin from bone slide harmlessly over the machine's chassis, the rest of the soldiers, save for their leader, decided to flee. Their message was unspoken, but clear.
Fuck this.
The commanding officer held a sword to try and keep this unnatural abomination away. He swung, but 347 anticipated the swing and caught the blade in its hand. 347 had just figured out it could do that.
"Surrender, and you will be take-"
The robot was interrupted again, not by a sword, but by the sword's owner letting go of the blade and running in the same direction as his group. The robot swapped its mace for the sword and began to catch up to Nyasha. Once it was close enough to be heard, it spoke again.
"Your attackers have been dispersed. This area is still not safe, evacuate immediately. Repeat, the area is still unsafe."
There was a split second of processing where 347 considered its options.
"This unit can escort you to safety."