Markus watched in horror, his body frozen, his mind spiraling into a void of rage and grief.
The boy's small frame crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
His breath hitched. His vision blurred. But it wasn't the battlefield he saw anymore.
It was another place. Another time.
Blood in the dirt. The air thick with the scent of iron and death.
A head rolling across the ground.
His sister's head.
Markus's heart pounded, his body trembling as the past and present crashed together. The machines around him shifted, their glowing optics scanning, recalculating. They had already moved on, already deemed the child irrelevant.
Markus didn't think.
He screamed.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
His grip tightened around his sword until his knuckles turned white. Every fiber of his being burned with fury, his muscles tensed to their breaking point.
Then he moved.
Faster than thought. Faster than instinct.
His blade slashed out, carving through the nearest machine's throat, sending its head flying. Blackened energy crackled as its body collapsed, but Markus had already turned, already swinging at another.
Steel met metal, sparks flying as he cleaved straight through its torso. The machine sputtered, dark magic leaking from the wound before it crumbled into the dirt.
More swarmed him.
Markus didn't stop.
He twisted, dodging an incoming strike, his sword whipping around to tear through another machine's arm. A second one lunged at him from behind, its claws reaching for his throat.
Markus ducked, driving his blade backward. The machine impaled itself on his sword, screeching as its body convulsed before falling silent.
The battlefield blurred.
There was no strategy now. No precision.
Only rage.
Markus attacked again and again, cutting them down one by one. Every swing was fueled by raw fury, by grief, by the unbearable weight crushing his chest.
The machines didn't falter. They kept coming, adapting, closing in.
But Markus didn't care.
He would kill them all.
Meanwhile, the rest of Angel Squad…
Smoke and fire choked the air as they secured the last of the evacuees.
Arnik wiped sweat from his brow, scanning the area. "That's everyone!"
Kai exhaled sharply. "Finally…"
But then his expression darkened. His hand tightened around his gun.
"Wait… Where's Markus?"
The realization hit all of them at once.
Rose's ears twitched, eyes narrowing toward the distance. "He's still in there."
Arnik turned toward the battlefield, his gut sinking. The air around Markus's last known location was still burning, a raging inferno mixed with swirling debris.
"He's in the middle of that hell storm," Arnik muttered, fists clenching.
Aika swallowed hard. "We have to get to him."
The entire team bolted.
But before they could reach the battlefield—
A wall of massive figures emerged from the smoke.
Dozens of towering demon machines, their glowing optics locking onto the squad. Their metal frames hummed with energy, magic pulsing through their bodies.
Kai cursed under his breath. "Damn it."
They all drew their weapons. Blades hissed against scabbards. Magic blasters hummed to life.
Rose's tail bristled. "We don't have time for this!"
Arnik's stance lowered, ready for combat. "Then we break through."
A message crackled through their comms.
"Angel Squad, this is Admiral Handerfall. Locate Markus and retrieve him immediately. I'm marking a pick-up point—survive for five minutes until extraction arrives."
Kai grimaced. "Five minutes?! Against this?!"
Arnik's eyes glowed, his muscles tensing. "Then we don't waste time."
The machines charged.
Angel Squad moved.
Aika's hands trembled.
The battlefield was chaos. Machines swarmed around them, red optics glowing like soulless predators. The deafening roar of combat filled the air—metal clashing, spells igniting, the ground itself trembling beneath the weight of destruction.
I can't stop.
Magic surged at her fingertips, raw, unstable.
Her breathing was ragged, sweat dripping down her forehead.
I have to keep moving.
Chains burst from her hands, snapping forward like vipers. They coiled around a machine's limbs, twisting with unnatural force before yanking it into the ground with a bone-rattling crash. Metal screeched as it crumpled, sparks flying.
Another enemy closed in.
Aika's fingers twitched.
Aika gritted her teeth, her vision blurred with sweat and exhaustion. Her pulse pounded in her ears as her magic surged, vibrating through her veins.
For my mom!
She slammed her hands down. A shockwave erupted from her body, the force rippling outward like a tidal wave. Machines in her path were thrown back, their metal frames twisting and smashing against each other.
Rose dashed past in a blur.
Her speed was inhuman, weaving between wreckage and enemy fire like a phantom. She didn't stop. Didn't hesitate. With precise, calculated strikes, she tore through the enemy ranks, leaping from machine to machine. Each slash of her blade severed limbs, carved through armor, sent sparks flying as she dismantled them piece by piece.
Kai's voice crackled through their comms.
"Try to get eyes on Markus!"
Kai barely had time to speak before he dodged an incoming attack. He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a blast as he raised his gun. With sharp, practiced aim, he fired. Magic-infused rounds struck their targets with pinpoint accuracy, each shot piercing through joints, disabling key components, bringing machines crashing down.
Aika's chains burst from her hands once more, snapping forward like hungry vipers. They wrapped around a machine's limbs, twisting tight before she yanked. The enemy screeched as it was dragged across the battlefield, colliding into another, both crumbling into heaps of broken parts.
Her arms ached.
Her legs screamed.
But she didn't stop.
She couldn't stop.
Rose's eyes locked onto Markus through the smoke and chaos.
Her breath hitched.
He was barely standing. His coat was in tatters, his armor shredded, blood dripping from countless wounds. His sword was still in his grip, but it was shaking.
"WE NEED TO GET AIKA TO HIM NOW!!" Rose yelled over the comms.
Kai cursed under his breath. "If this keeps up, he's going to die!"
"That idiot…" Arnik growled. His glowing blue eyes flickered with rage.
Energy surged around him, his mutation flaring as his body radiated raw power.
With a roar, Arnik slammed his fists into the ground. The earth beneath them cracked, a massive shockwave ripping forward, obliterating everything in his path. Machines were sent flying, their bodies twisted and shattered under the force.
A path—he had carved a direct path to Markus.
But the cost…
He staggered, blood dripping from his lip. His body trembled, his injuries catching up to him.
"ARNIK!!" Aika screamed, her chains flickering for a moment, hesitation gripping her.
Arnik barely turned his head. "AIKA, DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME! GET TO MARKUS!"
Markus stood atop a mountain of shattered machines, his body barely holding itself together. His breath was ragged, his limbs screaming in pain, but he didn't stop.
"RAHHHH!!"
His voice tore through the chaos, spitting out mouthfuls of blood as he slashed through another machine. His sword was slick with oil and metal shards, his body running on pure rage and instinct.
Another machine lunged. A massive fist slammed into his ribs, sending him crashing into the wreckage below.
His vision blurred. His body refused to move.
No… I'm not going to die.
A shadow flickered above him. A sharp glint of steel.
SHUNK.
The machine's body split in half.
Markus blinked, coughing as he forced himself up.
Kai stood above him, sword drawn, face twisted in irritation. "IDIOT."
Markus grinned weakly. "Took you long enough."
"SHUT UP."
Aika ran in, her hands glowing as healing magic rushed over his wounds. Markus exhaled sharply as the pain dulled, his body repairing at an unnatural speed.
His strength returned. His grip on his weapons steadied.
They all gathered atop the mound of destroyed machines, their bodies battered, their expressions hardened.
"WE FIGHT UNTIL HELP ARRIVES!!" Markus roared.
"LET'S DO THIS!"
Arnik's mutation flared, energy pulsing through his veins as he drove his fist into the ground. A shockwave tore through the wreckage, sending debris flying. His body burned with raw power as he launched himself forward, striking another machine straight in the chest. The impact sent it careening into the mass of advancing enemies.
He gritted his teeth. Too many.
Kai, standing slightly behind, kept his eyes on the battlefield. His role was clear—support. His magic pistol glowed with energy, each shot precise, aimed at weak points to disable the machines before they could overwhelm his team.
He flicked his wrist, casting reinforcement magic over Markus and Rose, increasing their speed and reaction time. At the same time, he fired off a barrage of paralyzing shots, freezing machines in place just long enough for Markus's bullets or Rose's blades to finish the job.
Markus darted forward, his movements sharp and efficient. He reloaded mid-motion, both guns aimed at the machines swarming toward them.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Rose ducked low, slicing through a machine's legs, sending it crashing down. She flipped over its collapsing body, landing on the other side, daggers flashing.
Aika twisted her hands, chains of magic wrapping around an enemy's arms and yanking it backward. Another machine lunged toward her, but before it could strike—
Arnik's mutation surged again. His fist slammed into the ground, and the very battlefield responded.
A massive eruption of energy surged forward, launching several enemies backward.
"How long do we need to hold out?!" Rose shouted over the chaos.
Kai dodged an incoming strike, quickly countering with a bolt of magic. "Three more minutes!"
"Then let's make them count!" Markus roared, emptying both guns into the advancing machines.
The team braced themselves. The battlefield was a storm of destruction, magic clashing with metal.
And they had no choice but to endure it.
A deafening roar split the battlefield as a massive transport ship tore through the sky, its thrusters burning bright. It cut through the smoke and chaos, descending rapidly toward their position.
"They're early?!" Arnik shouted, barely dodging a machine's blade.
"THANK THE SPIRIT!!" Rose grinned, flipping over an enemy before slicing through its neck.
The ship hovered just above the wreckage, its back hatch opening with a loud hiss. Wind howled as the engines adjusted, kicking up dust and debris.
Markus shot down another machine before glancing back. "MOVE!!"
One by one, they sprinted toward the ship. Aika leaped first, using her magic to propel herself inside. Kai followed, twisting midair to fire off one last paralyzing bolt before landing on the ramp.
Rose dodged a final attack before backflipping onto the platform. "That was way too close!"
Arnik was the last on the ground, covering their retreat. A machine lunged at him, but Markus shoved him forward, spinning and unloading both guns into the attacker before diving in himself.
The hatch slammed shut.
The ship rocketed upward, engines flaring as they left the battlefield behind.
Inside, the team collapsed onto the floor, their breaths ragged, their bodies bruised and bloodied.
Markus exhaled, head leaning back against the metal wall.
"We made it…" Aika whispered, clutching her chest.
The tension finally eased, but none of them spoke.
They had survived.
For now.