The cold air of the valley hung heavy with tension. The fires from the previous night still smoldered in the rebels’ camp, casting long shadows as Juri Winkler worked tirelessly in his workshop. His latest raid had been a success—the nobles’ staging ground was reduced to ashes, their supplies destroyed. But the victory had come at a cost, and Juri knew that cost would grow heavier with each step forward.

The nobles would retaliate, and this time, they wouldn’t hold back.

Juri stood at the edge of the camp, his sharp blue eyes fixed on the horizon. Behind him, the rebels moved with uneasy purpose, their movements quiet and subdued. The loss of Lena during the raid had hit them hard, and whispers of doubt still lingered in the air.

Halrick joined him, his sword resting on his shoulder. “You’ve been quiet,” he said.

“I’m thinking,” Juri replied.

“About what?”

Juri’s gaze didn’t waver. “About what they’ll send next.”

Halrick let out a low chuckle, though there was no humor in it. “You think it’ll be worse than the Sentinels?”

“It’ll be different,” Juri said. “The nobles aren’t stupid. They’ll adapt. And if we don’t stay ahead of them, we lose.”

Halrick frowned. “You sound like you’re planning something.”

“I always am,” Juri said, his tone sharp. “But I’ll need time to finish it.”

Halrick glanced back at the camp, his expression uneasy. “Time might be the one thing we don’t have.”

Far to the east, in the grand halls of House Vorell, Lorian Vehr stood before a council of nobles. The chamber was adorned with banners bearing the house’s sigil—a silver flame surrounded by intricate runes—and the air hummed with restrained magic.

“The rebels struck again,” Lorian said, his voice cold and measured. “They’ve destroyed one of our key staging grounds and disrupted our supply lines. If we don’t act swiftly, their influence will continue to grow.”

Lady Alarice Vorell, the silver-haired head of the house, leaned forward, her green eyes narrowing. “You said the Sentinels would crush them, Lorian. Instead, they’ve made a mockery of our efforts.”

“The Sentinels were a prototype,” Lorian replied. “A first step. But we’ve learned from their failure.”

“And what do you propose now?” Alarice asked, her tone icy.

Lorian smirked faintly. “The rebels think they’ve seen the worst of what we can do. They’re wrong. The next wave of Sentinels will be fully integrated with our latest magical advancements. Faster, stronger, and equipped with suppression fields to neutralize their primitive technology.”

“Suppression fields?” another noble echoed.

“A combination of runic amplification and nullification magic,” Lorian explained. “It will disrupt their machines, rendering them useless. Without their toys, the rebels are nothing.”

Lady Alarice nodded slowly. “You have your orders. Deploy the new Sentinels immediately. I want that valley burned to the ground.”

In the valley, Juri’s scouts returned with grim news.

“They’re moving,” one scout reported, his breath visible in the cold air. “A column of soldiers and Sentinels is heading toward us. They’ll be here by nightfall.”

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The camp erupted into murmurs, the tension that had been building now threatening to boil over.

Juri stepped forward, his voice cutting through the noise. “Quiet.”

The rebels fell silent, their eyes fixed on him.

“How many?” Juri asked the scout.

“At least fifty soldiers,” the scout replied. “And six… machines. Bigger than the last ones.”

Juri’s mind raced. If the new Sentinels were larger and more advanced, they were likely equipped with enhanced magical systems. That would make them both more dangerous and more vulnerable—if he could find the right angle.

“We hold the valley,” Juri said, his tone firm. “They’ll expect us to run, but we’re not giving them the satisfaction. We’ve fortified this position for a reason. It’s time to use it.”

Halrick frowned. “And if we can’t stop them?”

Juri’s smirk was faint but sharp. “Then we make sure they regret every step they take.”

The rebels sprang into action, following Juri’s orders with grim determination. Traps were reinforced along the cliffs, hidden mines were buried beneath the snow, and barricades were erected at key choke points.

Juri worked tirelessly in his workshop, fine-tuning his machines and preparing a new weapon he had been developing in secret: a mobile cannon mounted on a reinforced chassis. The weapon, nicknamed the “Thunderstrike,” was designed to punch through even the toughest magical barriers.

Kira entered the workshop, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. “You’re betting everything on this, aren’t you?”

Juri didn’t look up. “This is what it takes to win.”

“And if it doesn’t work?”

Juri tightened a bolt on the Thunderstrike and finally turned to face her. “It’ll work.”

Kira studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Just don’t forget there are people counting on you out there. This isn’t just about your machines, Juri.”

“I know,” he said softly.

As night fell, the sound of marching boots echoed through the valley. The rebels watched from their positions as the nobles’ forces emerged from the treeline, their torches casting flickering light across the snow.

The new Sentinels were massive, their frames sleek and angular, their runes glowing with an eerie blue light. Each machine was flanked by squads of soldiers, their weapons at the ready.

Juri stood atop the central ridge, his Scout Walker beside him and the Thunderstrike cannon positioned behind a barricade. He raised a hand, signaling his forces to hold.

“Wait for it,” he murmured.

The nobles’ forces advanced cautiously, their formation tight as they moved deeper into the valley. When they reached the first choke point, Juri gave the signal.

“Now!”

The mines detonated in a series of deafening explosions, sending snow, rock, and bodies flying into the air. The rebels opened fire from the ridges, their Repeaters lighting up the night as bullets rained down on the soldiers below.

The Sentinels moved to the front, their runes flaring as they projected shimmering shields to protect the troops.

“Thunderstrike, target the lead Sentinel,” Juri ordered.

The cannon roared to life, its shell streaking through the air and slamming into the Sentinel’s shield. The impact shattered the barrier and sent the machine staggering backward, its glowing runes flickering.

As the battle raged, one of the Sentinels activated a suppression field. A wave of magical energy rippled through the valley, and Juri’s machines shuddered to a halt.

Juri’s heart sank as the Scout Walker beside him went dark, its limbs locking up.

“They’ve got nullification magic!” Kira shouted from her position.

Juri gritted his teeth, his mind racing. They think they’ve neutralized us. Let’s see how they handle Plan B.

He grabbed a remote detonator from his belt and pressed the button. Hidden explosives planted beneath the snow erupted in a chain reaction, targeting the ground beneath the Sentinels. Two of the machines collapsed into the resulting craters, their frames buckling under the force of the blasts.

“Keep firing!” Juri shouted, rallying the rebels.

With the suppression field disrupting his machines, Juri knew the Thunderstrike was their only chance. He climbed into the cockpit and manually reactivated the weapon, bypassing its mana-reliant systems.

The lead Sentinel advanced toward him, its glowing eyes locked on the cannon.

“Come on,” Juri muttered, aiming the Thunderstrike.

The Sentinel raised its arm, its rune-covered weapon crackling with energy. But before it could fire, Juri pulled the trigger.

The shell struck the Sentinel’s core, detonating with a blinding flash of light. When the smoke cleared, the machine was nothing more than a heap of twisted metal.

The remaining soldiers and Sentinels, realizing they were outmatched, began to retreat.

When the battle ended, the valley was eerily quiet. The rebels emerged from their positions, their faces etched with exhaustion and relief.

Juri climbed down from the Thunderstrike, his body trembling from the strain. Halrick approached, clapping him on the shoulder.

“You did it, kid,” Halrick said.

“For now,” Juri replied, his voice quiet. “They’ll be back.”

“But not tonight,” Kira said, joining them.

Juri nodded, his sharp blue eyes scanning the battlefield. “No. Not tonight.”