The atmosphere at the city center was a suffocating blend of ozone, burning oil, and the sharp, metallic tang of despair.
As James's chains swung Akhil and the unconscious Seth over the final row of shattered residential blocks, the true scale of the catastrophe came into view.
Standing tall amidst the skyscrapers was the Bot—a colossal, multi-limbed mechanical monstrosity.
High on a jagged pile of rebar and concrete debris, Aria stood panting, her chest heaving as she wiped a streak of grime from her forehead.
Her elegant long katana was unsheathed, the blade vibrating with the faint whistle of compressed wind. She looked like a gale caught in a bottle, but her glow was fading.
"Dammit..." she hissed, her voice lost in the roar of battle.
Below her, the scene was a chaotic ballet of violence.
