At any moment help would arrive.
Perhaps it was the thought that made him act so recklessly.
Once the breach was breached, eliminating the defence legion became unnecessary.
While the immediate fall of the dome was halted, no help would come before the devastation.
The tortoise's fury was nowhere near satiated.
In fact, when it saw the dome stop its fall, it exploded in anger.
It emitted a ferocious roar that made the earth shake violently.
Its feet were once again filled with blood, but it didn't care in the slightest.
A crack expanded beneath it, and a white sphere of energy formed in its mouth.
At the same time as her roar ended, a huge bolt of lightning emerged from the sphere, with a radius of 30 metres.
The beam began its journey from the ground in front of the turtle to the dome itself.
The structure of the dome did not withstand the lightning attack in the slightest and the pieces accumulated in that area simply vanished into ashes.
Once the shield was revealed, it absorbed the impact for a total of 20 seconds, after which it vanished.
Debris from the dome began to crumble over the city.
Huge pieces of titanium fell all over the city.
The peace and quiet that reigned just six minutes ago was replaced by chaos and death.
In a matter of seconds the huge 50-kilometre long city was turned into a field of rubble, with few buildings surviving.
But the lightning did not stop with the disappearance of the shield.
It advanced in a straight line until it surpassed the horizon and reached the sky.
Only then did the tortoise dissolve the sphere.
It moved happily through its mess, following the line of melted earth left by its lightning bolt.
Each step it took made the earth rumble, yet neither side could feel the fear it generated.
The huge swarm was reduced to a few thousand beasts that roamed the city, seeking to finish what the rubble did not crush.
The army was fragmented. Those who were not killed on the front lines or by the turtle had two choices, flee or go to hell.
The remaining androids and drones went in without hesitation.
However, the infantry was divided between those who would fight on and those who would not.
Even if they had all decided to take on the withered city, the remaining militia hardly numbered more than 1000 bodies.
Ridiculous in comparison to its original size.
None of the above was known to Jack, nor would he have any way of knowing.
Unconscious in front of the lever, his body slowly decays.
There was no way his body could withstand supersonic speeds, the only thing that awaits him is a slow death where his body regenerates at a slower rate than it dies.
After half an hour, the conflict reached the central area, the remaining troops do their best to stop the advance, however, they are repeatedly forced to retreat.
In the central building, two soldiers defend the entrance.
In the blink of an eye, they were surrounded by silver wolves, their crimson eyes glowing with longing.
Then, a human figure materialised in front of them, aimed at the soldiers who began firing.
The bullets were met by the wolves who did not back down in the slightest.
As soon as one of them got close to the first soldier, it ripped off his right arm. Losing the arm where his rifle was, he was quickly torn to pieces by two other wolves.
Taking advantage of the second of fear and terror, an opening was created in the second soldier, the rest of the wolves rushed at him.
The human figure floated until he was in front of the entrance.
Then he sneered "They ran away".
Fire began to shoot from his hands and spread through the building.
It was then that he became aware of a peculiar presence.
He motioned to the wolves, swung his arm and told them to scram.
The wolves followed his command and disappeared from sight.
The figure then walked smoothly through the flames.
Until he came to a particular room, where he found a dying man standing by a crowbar.
He slowly approached the man.
As he approached, he could see a pool of blood surrounding him, blood dripping from his mouth, eyes and ears.
"What a fight you're putting up" the figure brought his hand up to Jack's forehead "What do you say I put an end to that?
That hand began to radiate fire, however. As soon as it touched the man's forehead it recoiled.
"Maybe it's worth saving you" He said after a mischievous chuckle.
He pointed his right index finger towards Jack's head and gently raised his finger.
Jack's head followed the trajectory of the finger.
Once it had a full view of Jack's face, the figure injected a thread of energy into Jack.
His bloodshot eyes blurred to the figure in front of him.
He made out a female appearance, but his vision was too blurred to discern her face.
Her orange appearance was not strange, for he saw everything in a reddish spectrum.
"U... Ahg" Jack tried to speak, but all that came out of his mouth were whimpers.
"So it was you who activated the city's shield? What a nice sacrifice" The figure smiled wickedly "How does it feel to have done all that for nothing?".
Jack simply watched in confusion.
The figure sighed and raised his hand. The ceiling flew off and the violet sky was revealed.
Jack smiled wryly.
"Is that all your answer?" The figure dropped his arm and stepped even closer "You wrecked your body to save this hellish city, you sacrificed your life for these madmen and in just a few breaths, your efforts fell apart."
Jack raised his shoulders, left shoulder thundered, fell immediately after.
The figure crouched in a crouch, its face directly confronting Jack's.
"That's it?"
Jack sighed inwardly, from his eye a holographic window projected.
✠ Everything goes back to nothing, I at least tried. ✠
The figure jumped up in laughter "Your life is more important than this entire city."
✠ Maybe so, but that doesn't matter anymore. Any moment now I will die. ✠
"Tell me" The figure showed a sudden seriousness in his expression "Do you think you can bring order to this universe?".
✠ ¿...? ✠
"I'm asking if you think you can save this universe, if you have confidence that your life is worth saving."
✠ I couldn't possibly know. ✠
The figure sighed "Then promise me that you will, that if I save you, you will dedicate your life to the good of the universe. It doesn't matter if you are able to do it or not, just swear it."
✠ Why would you do that, aren't you part of the enemy ✠?
The figure laughed wryly, "I am, but I am no better than a disposable pawn, my life began and will end in this battle.
✠ What do you mean your life began and will end in this battle? ✠
"It's very simple" She sighed "I am a fire elemental, with the energy I was given it is unlikely that I will live more than 3 hours, after which I will have used up all my reserves and my body will simply be unable to maintain its form" She said as she brought her right hand up to her chest.
After a short silence he said "This battle was destined to be lost, so I am only a disposable weapon to weaken the enemy".
Shortly after, he looked deeply at Jack "Don't you think it's funny?"
✠ I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. ✠
"Lovely" She said with a wry smile "So do you accept my offer then?".
✠ You still haven't answered my question ✠ Why would you? ✠
"I thought I had answered-"
✠ No, all you did was rub my face in your miserable existence ✠.
"That's a hell of a way to respond to someone who's thinking of helping you" She replied offended.
✠ ... Do you think I'm stupid? If you've come this far, there's no way you could have passed by like a butterfly, without interacting with whatever you would have encountered, I'm not going to trust without reason to do so What if you want to take over my body? In case you really wanted to heal me, you would have taken me to a regeneration capsule instead of seeking to sacrifice yourself ✠.
She laughed wryly, "A regeneration capsule! Can't you hear the tremor of destruction? The world is falling apart. Are you really capable of thinking that something so delicate is still standing?
✠ ... I guess you're right. ✠
He sighed deeply "Since you want to know the reason for my help so badly? It's very simple, I was forced into existence, a goal and orders.... Do you think someone with such a short time to live would enjoy living all his time taking lives?".
Then he dropped onto Jack's chest "Call it what you will, apology, sacrifice, offering. Whatever you prefer... Just accept."
✠ I swear I will live up to your expectations ✠.... No, I will exceed them ✠
She laughed scornfully "What big words, for someone in your state."
Then, the energy of his body began to inject itself into Jack "Things would have been simple if you had accepted from the beginning.... I simply wanted to know that my short life would not fade away in vain".
Jack's body was enveloped with the rampant energy of the fire, uncontrolled as it is, it coursed through every part of his body, even the parts not in need of healing.
The pieces that were his bones quickly began to come together. The burst blood vessels were patched and the tainted blood was expelled from his wounds.
"Looks like I won't be able to help you with the external wounds," she said as her body began to glow.
Jack's body was still full of superficial wounds, his left arm didn't recover but it was a more than beneficial result.
"I'll get it back... Thank you" Now that Jack could talk again... There was only consolation left.
She hugged Jack tightly "It's ironic, now that I'm dying is when I feel most alive".
Just after finishing that sentence, his body vanished into thin air.
The core of his chest fell into Jack's hand.
Jack rubbed his arm against his eyes, wiping away the blood that covered them.
The seal on his forehead glowed again, the third shard losing its glow as he stood up.
He watched the sky for a few minutes without saying anything.
The vibrant violet colour emitting from the atmosphere was certainly mesmerising, compared to the drab hue that was recreated from the dome.
He placed the core on the floor...
The ashes of the body had already been scattered by the wind, he brought his hand in front of his face, his fingers together and stretched out to create a line in front of his eyes.
He closed his eyes "I cannot forgive you for that which you have not committed against me.... But" he opened his eyes and took the core again "Eventually you will be able to atone for your deeds".
He sighed as he saw all the wounds on his arm, in a sense he considered abandoning it, however, he had already spoken.
...
He gritted his teeth, no matter where he tried to listen, gunfire was coming from all directions.
Nowhere could he take a stealthy route.
He took a deep breath, jumped a couple of times and patted his cheek.
With as much concentration as he can muster, he darted through the corridors like lightning, out of the building in a matter of seconds.
Outside stood two ape-like beasts, their hair replaced by scales and their faces covered with porcelain masks.
The masks have a rather elongated nose, the right eye and mouth are crescent-shaped, the left eye is a star.
No openings or supports...
They are looking at the rubble in the street, they seemed to be digging for something.
Jack immediately approached one of them from behind, threw the core and before the ape could do anything, severed the head with a swing of his hand.
As it fell dead, it revealed what it was digging for. Cores from the wolf-like beasts.
He caught the core in mid-air and disappeared.
By the time the second beast caught the sound of the collapsing body, an immense pressure surged in its chest, its ribs cracking before it went flying.
Jack had launched a kick that concentrated its force on his fingers.
If that didn't kill him, it surely would when he slammed into the cold steel.
Even without the unintelligible babbling of those beasts, the thunder of bullets was constant.
Jack scaled the nearest building, not too difficult as they turned into huge piles of rubble.
He jumped from rubble to rubble until he reached the top.
At the top of the hill he could see the whole city unobstructed.
Oh, ruined city. Once spotless, it now shows its streets covered in filth and decay, completely defenceless. The once pristine city is now stained with the blood of the innocent, the bodies of the enemy, the rubble of its structures and its collapsed shield.
Though it has yielded to enemy contamination and every vital system has collapsed, the last signs of life struggle in vain.
The skirmishes do not stop, no sooner do the outbreaks stop than new ones begin.
Inevitably they are fewer and fewer, the devastation advances impassively.
All that's left is to kick the death throes, a painful, slow death.
Jack carefully examined every nook and cranny of the city. However, he was unable to find any of his companions.
He sighed deeply and leapt down from the rubble.
He advanced in the direction of the ship, although he was going relatively fast, for him it was nothing more than jogging.
As he encountered the beasts, he got rid of them as quickly as he could.
Sooner rather than later, he came across the huge turtle mark.
A huge line of deformed concrete.
Everything in between was reduced to ashes and ceased to exist long ago.
He felt an enormous discomfort as he crossed such a scorched earth.
When he was halfway across, he was not able to hear anything more.
The city's wish was finally fulfilled, absolute silence.
All he needed to achieve it was to die.
All in all, no beast was encountered again.
Eventually, he reached the edge, where the customs house was located.
The door had already been destroyed, he passed through without much trouble.
It was no great surprise to see that few managed to escape, most of the ships were still here.
And among them all, his own.
He activated the door with a movement of his hand and...
The lights were turned off, no one seems to be here.
Jack laughed wryly and adjusted his hair ｢Of course there wouldn't be anyone here.... Heh｣.
His eyes became lubricated and he shook his head.
Then he walked somewhat disoriented.
Inside the kitchen, a strange figure was waiting for him.
As he turned on the light, he clearly noticed his appearance, a young man slightly taller than him, with orange hair.... His pupils took on the same colour.
If I were to describe his face, it is square in shape and impossibly symmetrical.
His body is covered by rather simple, red robes, on the right side of his chest was a stamped insignia and on his right index finger, a golden ring.
Jack adopted a defensive posture, waiting to see how he would act.
"No need to worry mate, I'm a bríer too" He said as he extended his hand cordially.
Jack didn't even think to take his hand "That's not a reason to trust.... Weren't all of yours far away from this galaxy?".
He dropped his hand ｢Yours...｣ The young man frowned as he analysed Jack's figure.
"Now I get it" He smiled slightly "You're an illegitimate briger."
"You don't need to worry unnecessarily, our world is not a savage one just for the sake of power. That only happens in works of fiction."
Jack didn't move an inch, he remained watchful no matter what he said "I can't be sure why did you come?".
The young man laughed ironically "You really are stubborn..." Then he let out a whirlwind into the air, from his fingers a shockwave spread that forced Jack back 3 steps "With something as simple as this I could kill you? Do you think I come with negative intentions?".
He sighed as he shook his head "You despise my help, despite saving your friends...".
"...Did you say you saved my friends?" Jack took a step forward and looked behind the young man.
"I did" He said cheerfully.
Jack frowned "Where are they, they don't seem to be here."
The young man smiled wryly "Not even a thank you? I wasn't expecting special treatment but this...".
He then pushed his hair back "Anyway, I guess I'll let it go, after all you don't seem to even understand who you're talking to".
He clapped his hands and the whole group materialised in front of the young man, they were unconscious.
"I had to knock them out, you know. So they wouldn't know about the pocket dimension" He said with a small laugh.
Jack was silent, perplexed.
"I guess you're not able to do that yet? My bad."
"... Thank you" Jack uttered.
"See? It's not that hard" Then his ring began to glow a flashing red.
"Looks like I have to go" He sighed "Anyway, you should be more grateful. Not everyone will be patient"
"Before I go, if you ever visit the proto-Celtic alliance, ask for Macelian. Maybe he can help you with your manners."
After saying that he disappeared, leaving Jack with more questions than answers.