“Why…”

Why…did he do this to me? Despair fills me. A gut-wrenching cry escapes my lips, catching Anran’s attention. She looks over and laughs, her eyes finding amusement in the sight of my dismembered hands. “Your little robot did the job for me! That’s hilarious,” she mocks, glancing at Zara's scowl. “Awww. Are you jealous of your little friend?” Anran rests the saw's blades on her wrist. “How about we fix that, huh?”

Desire swiftly attaches the bracelets to my wrists, and metallic hands extend from them. Blood crept out from the crevices of my robotic hands. As Anran began to saw on Zara’s wrist, I lunged towards her, throwing a punch. The blow launching Anran across the room, surprise evident on her face. I glanced at my hands in disbelief, they're glowing. Clenching my fist, I charged towards Anran, unleashing another punch. She barely managed to dodge, but the sheer force of my blow left a small cut on her cheek.

The room is filled with a tense silence as Anran recovers from the unexpected attack. The eerie glow from my robotic hands illuminated the struggle in her eyes, a stark contrast to the mocking laughter that had echoed just moments before. As the dust settled, a newfound determination took root within me. The metallic hands, once a symbol of despair, stood as a powerful tool to channel and express my anger.

“How dare you, you…you…BITCH!” Anran charged toward me.

I raised my hands in defense, and they absorbed her blow effortlessly. There was no pain or struggle. Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed her wrist and bent it backward. A cry of pain came out from Anran. A sense of satisfaction surged through me. Hearing her cries felt...good.

Suddenly, a colossal machine threw a punch in my direction. Swiftly, I dodged, releasing Anran. “Fuck…Little brat almost broke my wrist. Great timing, Marshall. Activate remote override.” With her final command, the robot's eyes turned red, and a hatch on its back opened. Anran entered the robot. “You really treated me well there, you little brat. Alright, time to return the favor.” her voice echoed from the robotic form.

The metallic behemoth whirred to life, its movements controlled by Anran from inside. The room trembled with the machine's mechanical prowess as it turned its attention toward me, its cold, red eyes fixating on my glowing hands. Anran's voice echoed through the metallic frame, taunting and triumphant. “Are you having fun, darling? Let's see how you hold up against this beauty.” Anran's voice reverberated from the machine.

The colossal machine lunged forward with an uncanny agility. Its fists ready to crush anything in its path. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I dodged. I clenched my fist, realizing that my robotic hands could be my salvation. With newfound determination, I focused on the power emanating from my metallic limbs, feeling an energy coursing through me.

Suddenly, my right hand opened, revealing an extendable blade. The blade started to whir and glow a bright red. "Desire! Uhm... help. Something's happening to my hand," I stammered, a mix of awe and concern. Desire floated over to me, latching onto my neck. I felt a sudden sting on my neck. “You're okay, Mari. That right there is a heat blade. It's incredibly sharp, and it has a heating option to deal even more damage,” Desire reassured me.

Ever since Desire latched on my neck, energy and power coursed within me. In a burst of speed, I closed the distance between the colossal robot and me. I delivered a series of random strikes and slashes. Each blow resonated with a mix of rage and retribution, but seemed to not cause any major damage.

Frustration surged within me as the colossal robot absorbed each strike. Its metallic exterior remained largely unscathed, and the room echoed with the clang of metal meeting metal.

Determined to find a weakness, I shifted my approach, targeting its joints. The heated blade sliced through the air with increased ferocity, but the colossal machine adapted, its movements becoming more calculated and defensive. Suddenly a burning wave of energy flew past me, singeing some of my hair. Zara stood on top of the machine. The robots that had previously held her down were now nothing more than a pile of burning scrap.

In that moment, Zara's eyes met mine, and a triumphant smile played on her lips. The room, once dominated by the mechanical behemoth, now held an atmosphere of hope. “Finally got rid of those fuckers. Got your back, kid. ARDERE PRO SOL!” A sudden explosion enveloped Zara. As the smoke dissipated, she transformed into a mesmerizing deep blue, fiery figure. “Let’s burn this place down. Lemme show you why they call me the arsonist, kid.” A smirk played on her lips.

Zara's fiery figure illuminated the warehouse, casting shadows against the colossal machine. Her presence radiated power and determination, a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded moments ago. Suddenly, the triumphant atmosphere shattered as we found ourselves encircled by Qi goons, armed with an array of rocket launchers and assault rifles. Anran's mocking laughter filled the air, and the gravity of the situation became painfully clear.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Thanks for letting my men arm up. I’m not the only one you’re fighting. It’s me and the whole central division of the Qi Family!” Anran declared with a sinister smirk.

An uneasy tension gripped the air as the Qi goons tightened their formation, their weapons aimed on us. Zara, however, remained undeterred. With a burst of energy, she leapt upward, disappearing into the darkness. “HAHAHA! The arsonist is running away! I almost feel sorry for you, kid. I was hoping that you wouldn’t die alone. But that’s fine. Nothing major really changed from my plan. You still die in the end,” Anran taunted, her voice echoing through the ominous standoff.

Nervousness overwhelmed me. Zara. Where did you go? Why did you leave me? I don’t want to be left alone. Not again. The fear of being abandoned once more gripped my heart, and Despair's insidious whispers sought to convince me to succumb to hopelessness. In that vulnerable moment, Desire's reassuring voice broke through the darkness. "Don’t worry, Mari. Zara will handle this."

Desire detached from my neck and transformed into a shield, positioning itself in front of me. Anran, amused by my measly attempt to defend myself, taunted, "That’s your plan? A puny little shield? Well then, let’s not waste any more time, shall we?"

As the Qi goons prepared to unleash their arsenal, a blazing figure fell from the skies with incredible speed. A deafening explosion erupted, sending both Anran and the goons hurtling across the room. It was Zara.

“You thought I would run away? Over my dead body.”declared Zara, her voice cutting through the dissipating smoke. The fiery aftermath revealed her triumphant stance, embodying defiance and strength. Anran, now recovering from the unexpected onslaught, struggled to get the machine to stand. The Qi goons, disoriented and battered, attempted to regroup. “You're persistent, I'll give you that. But this changes nothing. We still have the upper ground here” she spat, attempting to regain control of the situation.

Zara, undeterred, assumed a commanding stance. “Oh yeah? How ‘bout we do something to prove that, huh?” she retorted, her fiery form flickering with renewed intensity. The eerie glow illuminated the determination in her eyes as she prepared to face the oncoming threat.

The goons surrounded us again, some wielding blades. The silence of the standoff weighed heavy in the air. Suddenly, one of the launchers fired. In an impressive display of speed, Zara launched herself towards the oncoming rocket, engulfing it in her fire. The other goons followed suit. Bullets and rockets streaked through the air, accompanied by the determined advance of sword-wielding Qis.

Desire’s shield protected me from the barrage. One of the goons approached me. Another sting to my neck surprised me. Anger and power fills me once again. With a fierce determination, the Qi swung his sword. I barely managed to dodge and retaliated, throwing a punch to his abdomen. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain.I slashed him with my heated blade, neutralizing the immediate threat.

More goons followed, desperate to take me down. Fueled by a surge of primal instinct, I lunged towards them like a feral beast, unleashing a torrent of slashes and punches, ripping them to shreds. I felt so…powerful. I could get used to this.

Meanwhile, Anran's colossal machine closed in on Zara, its massive frame casting a looming shadow. With swift agility, Zara evaded the colossal machine's incoming fist. Seizing the moment, she countered with a calculated strike aimed at both of its legs. However, to her visible frustration, there was no apparent damage inflicted.

Undeterred, Zara, fueled by determination, soared towards one of the colossal machine's legs. With a swift motion, she rested her hand on the metallic limb, conjuring a powerful blast of brilliant blue fire. The intense flames enveloped the leg, casting an ethereal glow. In that moment, I found myself mesmerized, witnessing the fusion of elemental power and determined prowess as Zara continued to wage her fiery assault against the unyielding machine.

Zara was doing it. Anran's colossal machine appeared to be slowing down, and with one of its legs burned all the way through, it finally toppled to the ground. Anran's enraged voice echoed from the fallen machine, “FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! YOU BRATS. HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME. HUMILIATE ME! THE GREAT QI ANRAN! Guess I have to rely on this.” Suddenly, the colossal machine emitted a bright green light. The goons, catching sight of the ominous glow, scattered in fear and apprehension. Anran's triumphant laughter pierced the chaos, “HAHAHAHA! I’M THE ONE WHO WINS HERE. I’M TAKING BOTH OF YOU TO HELL WITH ME!.”

“MARI! ZARA! RUN! SELF-DESTRUCTION DETECTED. Qi Anran is attempting to blow herself up!” My heart dropped after hearing Desire’s words. “There’s nothing left you can do. You will die here! WITH ME!” Anran declared with a maniacal grin. Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped the warehouse. Zara, with unwavering determination, embraced me, shielding me from the impending blast.

The world around us dissolved into a searing brilliance, and as the cataclysmic explosion loomed, Zara's protective stance became a final bastion against the devastating force set to consume us. All I could see was Zara’s face, writhing in pain. All I heard was ringing, in contrast to the chaos that ensued just seconds ago. The world around us had plunged into an eerie stillness, a stark contrast to the chaos that had filled the air moments before.

It was freeing. Like I finally had a breath of fresh air in this dark and twisted world. In the midst of the blinding light, a silhouette of a figure approached us. With a voice that resonated familiarity and comfort, it reassured me.

“You won’t die today. Not today. My sweet angel, Mari. Live. For one day, I shall show you the truth.”

This figure…It was like daddy.