The three quickly disembarked from the vehicle, moving with urgency toward the battlefield where civilians were fighting against the relentless advancing machines. Marcus ordered the cadets to press forward and bring the injured to the point marked on the car's radar, which continued its course automatically. "Well, I'll make another one later," Marcus said, adjusting his gloves with a metallic gleam.
Meanwhile, Marin extended her hands forward, summoning torrents of water that crashed forcefully against the robotic motorcycles. Their circuits screeched and shut down instantly, leaving a momentary silence that was interrupted by the stammered thanks of the residents. One of them pointed toward an imposing building, a tower surrounded by smaller structures. "There are still more over there... and people who need help!" one of the survivors shouted.
From atop the tower, strange figures descended: some resembled humanoid insects, grotesque and menacing, while others had the absurd shape of coffee makers but with glowing eyes and steam-spitting mouths.
"What are those things coming toward us?" Lumi asked, her voice trembling as she watched the robots approach.
"They look like humanoid bugs... and coffee makers with faces," Marin replied, frowning at the bizarre nature of those machines.
The newcomers wasted no time in attacking. The insect-like robots fired razor-sharp staples that pinned people to the walls, as if they were flies caught in a sticky trap. The coffee makers, on the other hand, spewed jets of boiling coffee that acted like acid, melting everything in their path.
Lumi found herself surrounded by several coffee makers, their aim locked directly on her. Her breathing quickened as she tried to keep her panic under control. "I can't use my powers... I'd freeze everything," she muttered to herself.
Marin, noticing her immobility, shouted from a safe distance while creating a spinning umbrella of water to shield her. "I know you can't fully control your powers yet, but do something! Make a doll or stay out of danger!"
Marcus, for his part, reinforced his steel-hardened gloves. With precise and powerful movements, he struck down the insect robots one by one, gaining ground rapidly. Suddenly, he extracted small lasers from the gloves, which sliced through the robots into pieces with lethal brilliance.
The trio thought they had finished when, suddenly, the tower unleashed a new threat. A colossal flaming doll emerged slowly, as large as a castle. Its enormous eyes flickered with sinister light, and its childish clothing contrasted disturbingly with its intimidating presence. It looked like it had stepped out of a horror movie, scanning all around for victims.
Marin didn't hesitate. She raised her hands to the sky and declared firmly, "AQUA SPIRAL!"
From her palms surged a torrent of water that took the form of a giant spiral as it advanced toward the flaming doll, completely engulfing it. The water roared as it collided with the flames, and Marin turned to the others with an expression of triumph. "I think that should be enough," she said, but her confidence wavered as she saw the robot emerge unscathed from the spiral, its flames burning just as fiercely as before.
"That can't be possible... water always beats fire!" Marin exclaimed in disbelief, just before the doll looked at her with malice and struck her with one of its flaming arms, sending her flying several meters through the air.
Marcus reacted instantly. He extended his gloves, which grew in size to catch her and cushion her fall. He held her firmly, his eyes fixed on hers as if asking, "Are you alright?"
Still dazed, Marin blushed as she realized she was in Marcus's arms. She emitted a small, almost inaudible "yes," unable to articulate more words while feeling the warmth of his touch.
"You can put her down now!" Lumi shouted at Marcus, who was still holding Marin with his enlarged gloves.
"Hey, don't ruin my moment!" Marin protested, trying to regain some dignity as she got to her feet. She quickly brushed off her clothes and looked toward the colossal flaming doll that continued advancing inexorably. "So how are we going to destroy that thing? Water doesn't work... and that's one of my strongest attacks!"
Without wasting time, Marcus improvised a megaphone with his hands and shouted, "Quick, everyone evacuate the area!" His voice resonated with urgency, and the citizens began to flee in panic as they watched the gigantic doll move its massive legs, leaving scorching footprints on the desert ground.
"It seems some of its components are resistant to water," Marcus reflected aloud as he observed the doll. "Also, it's extremely hot. Despite the infernal heat of this desert, which must have caused it to ignite, I think there's something else at play here." His eyes gleamed with determination as he analyzed the enemy.
Suddenly, the doll opened its cavernous mouth and began spewing fire like an out-of-control flamethrower. It wasn't just shooting flames outward; its own body seemed to ignite even further, as if feeding off the surrounding heat.
"Watch out!" Marin shouted, raising a water barrier to protect everyone from the searing flames. But the water evaporated instantly, consumed by the intense heat. "I think I understand how this thing works," Marcus said thoughtfully, his mind racing.
"If you know how to destroy that abomination, tell us already!" Lumi exclaimed, throwing small frozen daggers that harmlessly bounced off the doll's body. "That's all you've got, huh?" Marcus commented, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, for now, yes," Lumi replied, crossing her arms in frustration. "I still don't have full control over my powers, and I don't want to freeze the entire place. That's why I hold back my abilities."
"Well, you're going to have to do the exact opposite," Marcus said firmly. "Why do you say that?" Marin asked as she struggled to contain the flames with another water barrier.
Marcus pointed toward the doll's mouth. "See those parts inside. They're made of a material that, if cooled to a certain temperature, can break and shatter instantly with a strong blow. The rest is simple: make it ingest your water and destroy the circuits from within."
"You heard him, Lumi. You need to do it and stop holding back your powers," Marin said between gasps, sweating profusely as she used all her strength to create temporary shields.
"But it'll be the same as last time," Lumi protested, her voice trembling. "I almost froze your body, and you lost mobility."
"Yes, I know, Lumi," Marin replied patiently, though her face showed signs of exhaustion. "I told you I was fine, and nothing happened. So don't worry."
"Besides," Marcus interjected confidently, "that time they didn't have me. I can create a shield that will protect us from the intense cold." In his mind, he added silently: At least for a few minutes. He didn't want to scare Lumi by mentioning the limitations of his power.
"Come on, Lumi, just do it," Marin insisted, looking at her with determination. "Most of the people have already evacuated the area."
"But if I do it, I'll freeze the entire desert. The boss will kill me, and Mrs. Ramona will be furious. Remember, she's leading the unit because Boss Adia isn't here."
"They won't get mad," Marin assured her with a calming smile. "Later, we can bring Adia to melt all the ice. Plus, we could use this as something positive: free water for this region."
"If you're going to do it, do it now!" Marcus shouted as he launched missiles from his gloves toward the giant doll. The projectiles exploded against its body but barely managed to slow it down.
"Fine, I'll do it," Lumi said with resolve. She positioned herself in front of the water barrier Marin had raised, closed her eyes, and began repeating mentally: I can do this, I can do this. She recalled Clara's teachings: she needed to stay relaxed, breathe deeply, and find her center. She inhaled deeply, feeling the cold air fill her lungs, and visualized her target.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the colossal doll almost breaking through the water barrier. With firmness, she recited aloud: "Air that flows everywhere, releases your warmth and lets it go, so the cold may spread. Freeze everything!" She raised her hands toward the sky as she invoked: "FROZEN LASER!"
In an instant, the atmosphere changed drastically. The temperature plummeted, transforming the scorching desert heat into polar cold. The sand beneath their feet began to freeze, forming enormous ice structures that shimmered under the dim light.
"Wow! It's getting really cold!" Marin exclaimed, visibly shivering as her water barrier froze, trapping the doll inside a frozen prison. It tried to break free with its flaming fists, but the ice held firm.
"Lumi, aim for its mouth, where the flamethrower comes out, not the ground!" Marcus shouted, pointing at the giant.
"Yes!" she responded, raising her hands toward the doll. A beam of ice shot out toward it, but her power was so immense that it ricocheted off the enemy's body and headed straight for her companions.
"Oh no! Not again!" Lumi exclaimed in frustration as she watched the beam dangerously approach them.
Fortunately, Marcus acted quickly. He used the nanobots in his gloves to create an improvised mirror that reflected the beam, sending it back toward the doll. "You did great!" he said as he held up the protective shield, raising it skyward to prevent further collateral damage.
"That's enough," Marin interrupted, still trembling. "Try to stabilize yourself."
"I can't control it, you already knew that," Lumi replied, panting. "Once I use this technique, I can't stop it until my mana runs out."
"That's true," Marin confirmed through gritted teeth. "It's like a cell phone: it won't stop until the battery dies."
"How about you aim it at the sky until you run out of energy?" Marcus suggested quickly.
The girl nodded. "Alright," she said, raising both hands toward the sky and releasing the ice beam in the opposite direction. The cold intensified even further, covering the surroundings with a freezing layer that seemed to hang suspended in the air.
"Good, it's your turn," Marcus said, turning to Marin. He pointed at the frozen mouth of the doll. "Give it your best shot before it protects itself."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Marin replied with a confident smile. She created an arrowhead made of dense water and launched it forcefully into the robot. Without wasting a moment, she shouted: "FLOOD CANNON!" A torrent of water shaped like a laser penetrated the doll's body.
The impact caused an immediate short circuit inside the robot, deactivating it. However, due to the intense cold generated by Lumi's ice beam, the water inside the robot began to transform into large ice crystals. With a deafening roar, the doll split in two, leaving only a pile of frozen debris and metal fragments.
"Stop now," Marcus said with concern as he watched Lumi struggle against her uncontrollable power.
"She can't," Marin responded, crossing her arms. "Once she activates her power, it doesn't stop until all her energy drains."
"And when will that happen?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, in 3… 2… 1…" Marin counted calmly. Just as she finished, Lumi's power began to fade, and her body collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
"Done, it's over," Marin announced with a sigh of relief.
"Yes, but now her power caused a snowstorm," Marcus noted, looking up at the sky where white flakes had begun to fall gently.
"Well, I guess this will be their first Christmas here," Marin joked sarcastically, prompting shared laughter among them.
Marcus bent down, lifted Lumi from the ground, and carefully placed her on his back. "Alright, it's time to move on," he said as a kind of motorcycle with an additional compartment appeared in front of them.
The people, initially annoyed by the sudden cold, soon found comfort in the joy of the children, who laughed and played in the snow as if it were an unexpected miracle. Before leaving, Marcus created an improvised machine to keep the residents warm and began gradually thawing the area.
Upon reaching the motorcycle, Lumi began to slowly wake up. "Where am I? It's warm here…" she murmured, still dazed. She looked down and noticed she was on Marcus's back. She blushed slightly upon realizing it. "Ah, good, you're awake. It's time to move forward," he said with a kind smile.
"Five more minutes," she replied sleepily, closing her eyes again. "It's so warm…"
"Hey, wake up already! It's time to go," Marin intervened firmly, though she couldn't help but smile at the scene.
"Spoilsport," Lumi muttered, pretending to be annoyed. "You never let me live the moment."
Finally, they placed the still-drowsy young woman in the motorcycle's compartment. As Marcus drove, Marin clung tightly to him, though not exactly by choice. "Not because I want to, but because there's nothing else to hold onto," she testified, though her tone hinted at a bit of humor.
Without further delay, they continued on their way to the next destination.
On another front…
The Unit I team advanced rapidly toward their objective. After crossing the border once again, they entered Spain, specifically Barcelona. What they found there was a chaotic scene: machines in the shape of bulls were chasing the citizens.
"We don't have enough ammunition, boss," Travis informed Anais, his voice heavy with concern.
"What are we going to do?" Cris asked, glancing around anxiously.
"We have to save as many people as we can," Anais replied with determination.
"But there are too many. They outnumber us," several members of the group pointed out, including Eliot.
Before the machines —of all kinds and sizes, from washing machines to blenders and refrigerators— could completely surround them, they formed a defensive circle.
"Not again!" Berta and Patricia exclaimed in unison, bracing themselves for the worst.
But something peculiar happened. The machines were suddenly struck by what appeared to be floating musical notes. A voice echoed behind them: "Are you guys alright, tios?"