As Nur opened his eyes, the blinding white light of the hospital room made him squint. He blinked a few times, his vision clearing to reveal the hum of machines around him. He turned his head slightly to see robotic arms meticulously repairing his own. The sleek metallic limbs were being calibrated with precision.

“Huh?” he muttered groggily. His voice was raspy, dry from disuse.

He tried to sit up, noticing the dull ache in his body was gone. His wounds were healed, and his arms and legs—damaged during the mission—were fully restored. The familiar insignia of the American base on the wall reminded him of where he was.

Turning his head, he spotted Baluka on the bed beside him, fast asleep. Her face was peaceful, but her arm, also now repaired, lay exposed, the synthetic skin shining faintly under the hospital lights.

Nur swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. The smooth, almost silent movements of his repaired limbs were uncanny. After slipping into his uniform, he left the room, heading toward the sound of distant voices.

As he entered the main room, he saw Emi and Hanako standing in a corner, whispering to each other. Nearby, Rex and Leon were locked in a heated argument.

“What’s going on?” Nur asked, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Emi turned her head sharply, her eyes widening when she saw him. “Nur! You’re awake!” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran to him, arms outstretched.

Nur caught her mid-jump with a hand, holding her back. “Stop it. I don’t need this. Just tell me why those two are arguing.”

Emi froze, taken aback, and stepped away, wiping her tears. Hanako sighed, crossing her arms.

“It’s Amber,” Hanako began. “After we got separated, she was taken. Her signal says she’s still alive, but her location shows somewhere in Africa. We don’t know where.”

Nur frowned. “So why are they arguing?”

“Rex wants to leave and find her. Leon’s trying to make him stay and focus on Neo,” Hanako explained.

“Rex? Wanting to rush off on his own? That doesn’t sound like him,” Nur said skeptically.

Hanako rolled her eyes. “You’re seriously that dense? You don’t know about their relationship?”

Nur raised an eyebrow. “Relationship?”

Both Emi and Hanako groaned in unison. “How can someone be this oblivious?”

Meanwhile, the argument between Rex and Leon grew louder.

“Rex, we can’t save her! We have more important issues right now!” Leon snapped.

“She’s your sister, Leon! She’s in Africa, and I can go there, find her, and stop Neo!” Rex yelled, slamming his fist on the table.

Leon’s expression darkened, his voice rising to match Rex’s. “I won’t have a sister if we don’t stop Neo!”

The room fell silent, everyone staring at Leon in shock.

“What do you mean by that?” Hanako asked, breaking the silence.

Leon exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “I stole files from Neo’s system before we escaped. They detail his plan.”

“What plan?” Nur demanded, stepping forward.

Leon met their gazes grimly. “In Novosibirsk, Neo plans to lift the entire city into the sky.”

Emi burst out laughing. “What? That’s ridiculous! Flying a whole city? Sounds like a bad sci-fi movie!”

Leon didn’t flinch. Instead, he snapped his fingers, activating a nearby monitor. The screen lit up with live footage of massive thrusters embedded in a cave system.

Emi’s laughter died instantly, her face going pale. “Wait... what? Where is that?” she stammered.

“Novosibirsk,” Leon confirmed. “I sent drones to scout it out. This is what they found.”

“But why? What could he possibly gain from flying a city?” Nur asked, his mechanical fingers twitching in unease.

Rex’s eyes narrowed as the realization hit him. “He’s not flying it into space... He’s lifting it high enough to drop it back down.”

“Exactly,” Leon said gravely. “The impact would devastate the planet.”

Rex slammed his palm on the table. “Then we need to move. Now!”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Rex took charge, barking orders. “Hanako, wake Baluka. She’ll need to fight. Everyone else, get suited up. This might be our final mission.”

As the team scattered, Hanako returned to the infirmary. She nudged Baluka gently at first, then elbowed her in the stomach when she didn’t stir.

Baluka shot upright, gasping. “What the hell, Hanako?!”

“You idiot!” Hanako hissed, her voice trembling. “You left me alone in that room with all those dead children. Do you have any idea how scared I was?!”

Baluka softened, patting Hanako’s head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you like that. Look, my arm’s back,” she said, flexing her newly repaired limb.

“Yeah, Rex healed you,” Hanako muttered. Then her expression hardened again. “Now, get up. We have a mission. And it’s big.”

In another room, Rex sharpened his sword methodically, the metallic sound filling the air.

“Are you really going to look for Amber after this mission?” Leon asked, polishing his sais.

“Yes,” Rex replied firmly. “If we survive, I’ll head to Africa.”

Nur adjusted his newly repaired limbs. “Rex, I want to save her too, but you need to remember—you can’t save everyone.”

Rex paused, the weight of Nur’s words settling over him. “Maybe not,” he said quietly, sheathing his blade. “But I have to try.”

Nearby, Emi leaned against her locker, lost in thought. The mysterious woman they had fought still haunted her, and her cryptic last words echoed in her mind. “I’ll ask Rex about her after all this,” she muttered to herself.

The six of them regrouped, fully armed and dressed in their combat uniforms.

“Are we getting any backup?” Baluka asked.

Rex shook his head. “No. I told every soldier to spend this time with their families. They deserve that, knowing this might be the end.”

He looked at each of them, his gaze fierce. “If you get hurt, walk it off. If you die, walk it off. I need all five of you at your best. Let’s move.”

They nodded, their determination unshaken. This mission was more than dangerous—it was do or die.

As the plane flew through the chilly Siberian sky, the group braced themselves for the mission ahead. The sunrise painted the horizon with streaks of orange and pink, a stark contrast to the tension gripping their hearts.

When they landed on a remote airstrip far from the city, Rex quickly laid out the plan.

“Hanako, use your powers to wake the people and guide them out of the city. Nur, Baluka, Emi—we’ll help evacuate as many as we can,” Rex commanded, his voice steady but urgent.

“And you?” Nur asked.

“I see Neo at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. I’ll handle him,” Leon replied grimly, adjusting his gear creating ice sais and flying away as the others exchanged uneasy glances.

The team nodded in silent agreement before splitting up.

As the sun climbed higher, Hanako transformed into her giant fox form. Her fur shimmered in the light as her towering frame loomed over the city. She let out a deafening screech, a bone-chilling sound that echoed across Novosibirsk. The noise jolted people awake, and windows rattled as if the city itself was shaking to life.

“Emi, it’s your turn,” Rex said, giving her a sharp nod.

“Water style: Mind Flux,” Emi whispered, her eyes glowing faintly blue. She extended her hands, channeling her energy outward. A telepathic message rippled through the city, her voice resonating in the minds of its inhabitants:

“Attention! This city is in grave danger. Evacuate immediately. Take only what you need and move quickly. Head south to safety!”

Chaos erupted as people scrambled out of their homes, grabbing coats, children, and whatever they could carry. Cars filled the streets as a mass exodus began. Rex, Nur, and Baluka moved swiftly among the panicked crowds, guiding people toward safer routes.

Meanwhile, Leon touched down at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a once-majestic structure now scarred by years of neglect and war. The shattered stained glass windows and cracked stone walls told a story of resilience amid destruction.

He ventured into a partially destroyed foundation room, the faint smell of dust and decay hanging in the air.

“I can’t believe this place is still standing,” Leon thought, scanning the area.

A soft whir of machinery behind him made him spin around, weapons drawn. Neo stepped into the dim light, his new robotic body gleaming. Sleek plates of polished metal covered his form, and his glowing red eyes radiated menace.

“Woah, Neo,” Leon said, forcing a smirk. “How much iron have you been pumping lately?”

Neo tilted his head, unfazed. “You’re stalling, aren’t you?”

Leon shrugged. “Who’s to say?”

Neo chuckled darkly. “Let me show you how much I’ve grown. I’ve surpassed even my own expectations.”

Suddenly, a machine rose from the ground between them. Neo twisted a dial on it, and the entire cathedral trembled. Leon’s eyes widened as he felt the vibration beneath his feet.

“He started it,” Leon thought grimly.

Outside, the city of Novosibirsk began to lift slowly into the sky. Buildings groaned under the strain, and the ground cracked as massive thrusters propelled the city upward.

Then came a shockwave—a powerful pulse that rippled through the air.

Leon staggered, clutching his chest. “My flux energy... I can’t use it!” he realized, panic flashing across his face. “So this is what Rex meant—Neo’s found a way to block it!”

As the thrusters roared, robots emerged from the ground in droves, swarming the streets.

Rex swung his blade in wide arcs, cutting down the advancing machines. Sparks flew as his strikes dismantled them with precision. Baluka fired arrows from a distance, each shot finding its mark. When a robot got too close, she grabbed an arrow and drove it into its mechanical skull with brutal efficiency.

Nur led a group of civilians through a narrow alleyway when they were cornered. Without hesitation, he tore into the robots with his bare hands, punching through metal and ripping limbs apart.

Inside the cathedral, Neo charged at Leon, who narrowly dodged his strike. “God, I hope this works,” Leon thought, activating the glowing mechanism on his gloves.

With a swift move, Leon pressed his hand against Neo’s chest. A surge of energy coursed through the contact point, and Neo froze mid-motion.

“You... shut me out!” Neo roared in frustration. “You shut me out of my system!”

Neo retaliated, punching Leon squarely in the stomach. The force sent him flying into a stone wall, cracks spidering outward from the impact.

In the streets, Hanako’s massive fox form tore through the enemy ranks. She crushed robots under her powerful jaws, sending fragments scattering. Her golden eyes burned with determination as she carved a path for the remaining civilians.

“Baluka, get to the underground system and shut off the thrusters!” Rex yelled over the chaos.

“Understood!” Baluka replied.

She spotted a tunnel entrance where robots were emerging and sprinted toward it. With a graceful leap, she dove into the darkness.

A robot lunged at Rex from behind, but Emi intercepted it, her tonfas slicing through its midsection in a fluid motion.

“Phew, that was close,” Emi said, flashing a grin.

High above, Neo hovered in the sky, his arms spread wide as the city continued its ascent.

“Now then,” Neo said, his voice echoing ominously. “Shall we begin?”

Below, the team fought on, knowing the clock was ticking, and failure wasn’t an option.