Zack stepped out from behind one of the fearless warriors, his expression unreadable. "Check if there's anyone left alive," he ordered flatly.
The battle was over, and the enemy had been annihilated. But Zack wasn't satisfied. All of this could have been avoided. If only he hadn't neglected to install anti-EMP devices on the armor, none of this chaos would've happened. The fight would have ended long ago, and those who sacrificed themselves could have been spared. "Sir! Watch your back!" Ego's sudden warning rang in his ears.
Zack reacted instantly, snatching the chain sword from the nearest fearless warrior. Without even glancing back, he spun around and swung the blade.
Clang!
The saw chain sword met a pale, glowing blade of light—and was sliced cleanly in half. The alloy steel stood no chance against the light blade's devastating edge. Lillian was still alive. Dragging her wounded body, she had launched a surprise attack on Zack. "Boy!" Lillian's voice was sharp yet oddly charged with emotion. "To be honest, I like your grith," she admitted, her tone laced with grim resolve. "But you must die today!"
With a twist of her wrist, she swung the light blade in an impossible arc toward Zack. The lack of a physical blade gave her infinite flexibility, making her strikes unpredictable and lethal. "Yeah?" Zack tossed aside the broken chain sword and sidestepped her attack with practiced ease. Stepping into her guard, he unleashed a ferocious punch aimed directly at her lower side—a brutal Liver Punch.
Bam!
The blow landed with the force of a hammer, sending Lillian's lightweight body hurtling through the air. She arced gracefully before crashing heavily onto the mountainside, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
Bang!
She coughed violently, blood splattering onto the dirt as she struggled to her feet. "No wonder you took out Verrik with one punch," she gasped between ragged breaths, coughing up more blood. "I didn't think you'd be stronger than that bear... but it seems I underestimated you."
Despite her frail appearance, Lillian's strength was astonishing. Her muscle density far surpassed even Verrik's monstrous brown bear form. "But this ends now," she spat coldly, her tone turning icy as the faint white light on her blade began to spread. It traveled up her arm, enveloping her entire body in a soft, ethereal glow.
She now seemed as if she were bathed in moonlight, her luminous figure radiating a deadly beauty. "Die!" Lillian roared, her speed exploding as her body blurred into a streak of light. She charged toward Zack like a shadow under the moon, her light blade poised to strike.
"Sir! Apex has rebooted! Weapons are online!" Ego's voice announced as the nanosuit's systems sprang back to life. Not far away, Zack's Apex armor roared to life, its weapon systems locking onto Lillian as she sprinted toward him. Hundreds of micro-missiles swiveled into position, targeting her with precision.
At the same time, the seven remaining fearless warriors, their armor now fully reactivated, surged forward. Their strength and speed amplified by the suit's systems, they easily matched Lillian's superhuman movements. "No..." Lillian's expression shifted as she sensed the rising danger. Her instincts screamed at her, but she had no choice. She pressed on, hoping to reach Zack before she was overwhelmed.
Suddenly, a flash of black streaked across the sky. A feminine Power Armor, sleek and elegant in design, flew into the air, emitting a faint hum as it hovered above the battlefield. "You bad people! All of you, just die already!" Sophia's voice echoed from within the suit, her tone fierce and determined.
Lillian froze mid-charge as Sophia raised her right arm. The armor's only offensive weapon—a 50mm heavy cannon—activated with a sharp whine.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
High-explosive grenades rained down in Lillian's path, forcing her to halt. The successive explosions shook the mountain, sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. Sophia's Power Armor wasn't built for offense. It was a suit, designed for containment, support, and battlefield first aid. Yet, without hesitation, she had used its only lethal weapon to defend Zack.
It was an act of both fierce loyalty and familial love. The blasts obstructed Lillian's advance, but her focus wasn't on the explosions. Her mind clung to the voice that had just echoed from the armor. "Sophia?!" Lillian whispered in disbelief, her glowing figure trembling as she turned toward the sound.
Hovering in the air, Sophia froze. Her eyes widened behind the armor's visor as her gaze locked onto Lillian's bloodied face. The realization hit her like a truck. "Mom...?" Sophia's voice faltered, thick with confusion and shock.
For a moment, everything stopped. Lillian's glowing blade dimmed slightly, her murderous aura faltering as tears welled up in her eyes. "Well, that changes things," Zack muttered under his breath, watching the emotional standoff unfold. "Ego," he said, his tone resigned, "looks like your suggestion was right after all."
At the base of the mountain, Black Hand lay in the wreckage of a destroyed vehicle, his broken cloak barely covering the grotesque, half-human, half-machine body beneath. His red, mechanical eyes locked onto Lillian and Sophia on the mountain. His damaged lips moved slightly, though no sound emerged. "Call headquarters. Mission failed. Moon Shadow has rebelled... In order to protect organizational secrets, I request authorization to destroy Moon Shadow... and myself."
Just moments after the signal was sent, Lillian's expression changed. Still weak and scarred, she knelt on the bloodied ground, clutching her lower abdomen as fresh blood seeped through her fingers. The damage Zack's earlier punch had caused—nearly shattering her liver and kidneys—was catching up to her.
But it wasn't just the injuries that brought her to her knees. There was something else, something far heavier weighing on her. "Sophia... so you're still alive after all..." Lillian murmured with a sad smile as she looked up at Sophia, who was descending rapidly toward her. Her eyes, filled with a deep, motherly affection, softened.
"Mom!" Sophia cried out as she landed and ran toward her.
"Internal bleeding detected. Liver and kidneys damaged. Condition is life-threatening. Immediate medical attention required!" the armor's medical system announced, scanning Lillian's body.
"Mom, stop talking! I'll save you! Just hold on!" Sophia said frantically, activating the medical tools integrated into her armor.
But Lillian weakly shook her head. She gently cupped Sophia's face with trembling hands, her gaze filled with love and regret. "I've searched for you for so long," she whispered. "I followed your tracks... I even found the gas station... but I couldn't find you." Her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. "They showed me your body. The Vanguard Organization told me you were dead," Lillian continued, her voice trembling. "I believed them. I thought you were gone... I'm so sorry, Sophia... I should've looked harder."
Sophia's tears streamed down her face as her visor flicked open. "Mom... stop blaming yourself! I'm the one who should be sorry! I never searched for you... I thought you were dead. I—I convinced myself you were gone because I couldn't handle it!" Sophia sobbed, her voice breaking as she clutched her mother's hands.
"Heart rate spiking! Subject is in critical condition!" the armor's system blared again.