Yoku was drowning in existential dread, about to collapse.
Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder.It was an old man — white-haired, wrinkled, with signs of age written all over him. He wore round glasses and had soft, kind eyes.
"C'mon kid, get back up," he said, stretching out a hand to help him.
The air grew thicker with smoke and dust, causing the old man to cough."Us men have to carve a way for the weak and the young," he muttered, patting Yoku's shoulder.
Yoku glanced around — there were also women soldiers, struggling to prepare themselves and evacuate the townsfolk.
A few hours ago, Yoku had instructed the woman mayor to lead everyone straight down into the lower stratum — it was their only chance for survival.
"Elben's daughter is incredible," the old man said between coughs. "She just took her new position, and yet... she's trying her best. If I were her age, I would've just given up."
He laughed.Yoku was confused — why wasn't this man afraid?
"Let's go, kid," the old man said, walking forward without hesitation.
Yoku followed him, reaching the outer gates atop the scrap walls.From there, he saw it — hundreds of automatons firing lasers, swarming like a black tide.He ducked, using a shard of broken mirror to look back.Some automatons were being destroyed by traps laid by the soldiers; windmills and buildings collapsed on top of others.
A laser hit the glass window near Yoku, melting it. Pain shot through his hand — the heat had slightly burned him.
Gunfire, lasers, and screams filled the air.Flying drones, shaped like swarms of metallic birds, rained death from above.Smart soldiers ducked inside buildings, shooting from cover. Others weren't so lucky.
Yoku forced himself to stand up.The automatons were overwhelming the town, crushing buildings, crushing people.
Large titans of metal stomped through the streets, flattening anything that stood in their way.
"Hahh... Adam," Yoku muttered weakly, "I think... I failed..."
How could he face them after this?
Then a memory flashed — the kids he had saved, riding away on the kettenkrad.No. He couldn't give up.
With a surge of will, Yoku jumped off the wall.The soldiers — the civilians — had already evacuated. The remaining soldiers were nothing but dead men trying to buy time.
Yoku sprinted through the chaos, jumping onto a massive automaton as it skewered some drones.It tried to pulverize him — swinging its mechanical arms at his skull — but Yoku grinned in the face of death, planting a bomb on its core.
BOOMThe automaton crashed to the ground.
Yoku hurled more bombs and dynamite, running like a crazed madman.Explosions tore through the battlefield.
The remaining soldiers — inspired by the insane boy — roared with laughter."THIS KID!" they shouted."If a teenager can tear down one of those things, we can too!"
Morale surged.They fired every bullet, threw every Molotov, every grenade they had, raining destruction on the metal horde.
Yoku's ears were ringing.His vision spun in circles.He staggered through the dust, barely conscious.
A building collapsed nearby — he barely dodged — but a massive beam trapped his arm underneath.
He screamed in pain.His bones shattered. Ligaments and muscles tore apart.
"I'm gonna die—!"No. He thought of his friends.
Screaming through the agony, Yoku pulled out a knife.He sawed through his own forearm, freeing himself.Grabbing a discarded laser pistol, he burned the wound closed — cauterizing it — the smell of cooked flesh filling the air.
He limped toward the outer edge of town, blood pouring from him.
Automatons were still behind him, firing into his shoulders and thighs.Every step was torture.
Then —A vehicle!Adam!
Adam, realizing the situation, threw a rope from the moving truck.Yoku grabbed it, his body dragged across the ground, scraping, tearing his clothes. Automatons closed in, firing wildly.
Adam grabbed the rope, hauling Yoku into the truck.
"Yoku! Your arm!"
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!!" Yoku barked. "DRIVE!!"
Lasers kept firing. Drones pursued them relentlessly.
Adam cursed under his breath."Dammit, after all this... Are we really gonna die here?"
Then —BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!!!
A series of massive, red explosions lit up the sky — fireworks, dozens of them, bursting in continuous waves.
It was coming from the opposite side of the settlement.
Yuruki.
She had stayed behind, launching all the facility's emergency explosives — signaling human reinforcements.
She smiled through the chaos."Dammit... Adam, you better survive..."
Automatons swarmed around her, encircling her like vultures.She had abandoned the facility earlier, knowing it couldn't be lost, escaping on a motorcycle — but now she was trapped.
Still, she rode on, leading the robots away.
Meanwhile, the automatons pursuing Adam and Yoku suddenly retreated, heading towards the explosions instead.
Adam was confused, but didn't question it.
He looked at Yoku's bloodied body, guilt stabbing at his heart."Dammit... If I was here earlier, maybe—"
But Yoku weakly pointed ahead."I think... Yuri and the kids are there..."In the distance, a kettenkrad could be seen, racing across the landscape.
Adam gritted his teeth, driving the battered truck towards to the kettenkrad... dammit, sigh if only i was careful... having a mission that was impossible going the top of the ceiling stratum tower — they leave the burning ruins of the settlement behind.
Yuri tearing up, but cant... sobbing "Im sorry! Im... i should" What could she even do.?
Adam sighs, as yuri was bandaging him as fast as she can... and blocking all the wounds as best as he can... Hoping to someone that his gonna survive