The ground trembled beneath them as Apex No.1’s cannons roared to life, a barrage of energy blasts tearing through the air. Caleb’s shield buckled under the relentless force, groaning with the strain as his muscles screamed in protest. Each pulse of energy sent shockwaves through the battlefield, rattling his bones, but the shield held. Just. His jaw clenched, his gaze darting across the chaos, the magnitude of the fight pressing in like a vice.

Iris’s voice cut through the static, tight with urgency. "Opening on the left. Take it now." The crack of her sniper rifle rang out, but the bullet glanced off the towering monster’s reinforced armor, a useless spark in the vast emptiness. "Damn it, we need more firepower!"

A growl rumbled from Caleb’s left. He turned to see Carter’s fingers flying over his gauntlet, his face a mask of focus. "I’m on it. Hold tight."

A tear in space appeared—a jagged rift, twisting with an ominous hum. Carter’s portal spit out a series of sharp stones that scattered across the ground. Apex No.1’s sensors flared to life, and the massive machine’s energy cannons snapped toward the rocks, momentarily diverting its focus.

"Now!" Caleb roared, giving the signal.

Lysander and Stacy surged forward. Stacy’s lips curled into a savage grin as she hurled a handful of seeds into the air. They hit the dirt with a muted thud—and then, in an instant, a riot of vines erupted from the earth, twisting and spiraling toward Apex No.1’s legs. The mechanical behemoth screeched in protest as the plants wound around its massive joints, but its movements barely faltered. The vines, strong as they were, could not hope to match the raw power of the machine’s frame.

"I hope these hold!" Stacy yelled, her breath ragged as she fought to maintain control.

Lysander stepped forward, his hand glowing with a controlled energy. With a single motion, his power snapped into place. The debris scattered across the battlefield bent and twisted, reforming into jagged shards of metal and rock. With an almost casual gesture, he sent the sharp projectiles flying at Apex No.1’s underbelly, striking deep into the monster’s exposed circuits. Sparks showered from the wounds, but the machine barely flinched.

"I’ve got it!" Iris shouted, her voice tense. She fired again, her bullet embedding itself in the exposed wiring beneath its armored plating. The air crackled with electricity, but still, Apex No.1 stood—its systems buzzing with fury.

"Not good enough!" Caleb shouted, his heart pounding. "Get back!" He pushed forward, forming a barrier with his shield just as the giant turned its glowing red eyes toward Iris. The next wave of energy crackled in its cannons, building power, ready to tear them apart.

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Before the blast could fire, a deafening roar erupted overhead, drowning out the crackling hum of Apex No.1’s charge. Luna’s dropship screamed through the smoky sky, its thrusters blazing. The ship released another salvo of artillery, slamming directly into Apex No.1’s chest. The explosion rocked the ground beneath them, sending debris flying in all directions.

For a moment, the beast staggered, smoke billowing from its twisted body. But the machine did not fall. It only loomed larger, its presence more terrifying with each passing second.

"Caleb!" Luna’s voice crackled over the comms. "I’m keeping it distracted, but we need a kill shot, now!"

His mind raced, but the pieces began to click into place. "Jian, Zane—move in. We create the opening. You close it."

Jian’s calm, methodical movements cut through the battlefield as he approached. His martial arts precision was unmatched. With fluid grace, he dodged debris and enemy fire, striking Apex No.1’s joints with surgical accuracy. Zane followed, his amethyst eyes flashing as his power rippled through the air. He traced invisible lines in the atmosphere, creating paths that guided him and Jian with unerring precision.

Together, they flanked Apex No.1, their coordination flawless. Jian moved like a shadow, delivering blow after blow to the machine’s weak spots, while Zane opened a portal, sending a blast of wind spiraling them upward toward the creature’s back.

"Now!" Caleb shouted, his voice a battle cry.

Lysander pressed his palm to the ground, the debris around him bending and forming into a battering ram that surged toward the monster’s back. The force of the impact sent Apex No.1 reeling, but it didn’t fall.

Then, Jian struck. His fist plunged into the heart of Apex No.1’s central core, the machine’s systems screeching in protest as sparks flew from the wound. The creature staggered, its movements jerky and erratic. It howled in mechanical fury, thrashing in an attempt to regain control.

For a moment, it seemed as if Apex No.1 might rally, its colossal body beginning to rise again, bloodied but not broken. Its sensors flickered, and its cannons charged once more. The air hummed with the promise of devastation.

But then, its movements slowed, staggered, and the lights in its eyes flickered—once, twice—before they dimmed completely. The towering behemoth let out a final screech, falling to its knees with an earth-shaking crash. Its once-mighty form crumpled into a pile of twisted metal and debris.

The battlefield fell silent. The air was thick with smoke, the stench of burning circuits filling their noses. Caleb stood, chest heaving, eyes scanning the wreckage. They had done it. Apex No.1 had been defeated.

"Mission accomplished," Caleb muttered, the words bitter on his tongue.

Stacy’s voice rang out, laced with relief but still on edge. "Is it over?"

"For now," Caleb said, his lips pulling into a grim smile. "But something tells me... we haven’t seen the last of this."

Above them, the dropship descended, its cargo bay doors hissing open. Elijah’s voice crackled over the comms. "We’re here. Get out of there."

Luna’s voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of urgency. "Everyone, fall back. We’ve got a ride waiting."

Caleb signaled to his squad. As they moved quickly toward the ship, a strange sensation prickled the back of his mind. The mission was over, but something was wrong. Something was watching them. The wreckage of Apex No.1 still emitted a faint pulse, its sensors flickering weakly in the midst of the destruction.

He glanced back. A low hum reverberated from the debris, a signal too faint to read—but it was there. Something was still alive in the wreckage.

"Caleb, let’s go!" Carter shouted, his voice snapping him back to the present.

Caleb hesitated, eyes narrowing. But then he turned and jogged toward the dropship. The horizon stretched out before them, a dark and endless sea of possibility. The battle was won, but the war… that was far from over.

As the doors closed behind him, the last remnants of Apex No.1’s flickering sensors cast a final eerie glow in the distance.

[Operation Nightfall Subplot arc complete]

[End of Chapter]