The sky trembled as a squadron of aircraft tore through the clouds at high speed, breaking the sound barrier and leaving behind luminous trails that streaked across the firmament like spears of fire. The formation consisted of six black flight units, their angular designs advancing in perfect synchronization, reflecting the glow of the stratosphere.
A woman's voice echoed through the internal communicators:
[This is Command. YoRHa Squadron, respond.]
The transmission came through clean and direct, carrying the calm tone of someone who had already overseen dozens of similar missions.
[This is 1D. All units have entered the stratosphere. Autopilot systems are green across all parameters.]
Moments later, another voice responded, vibrant and professional:
[This is Operator 6O. All units confirmed. Attention: you are about to enter airspace one hundred kilometers from the target. Energy readings indicate the presence of mechanical lifeforms nearby. Maintain formation.]
[Understood.]
The brief exchange was followed by tense silence. Only the sound of the engines—a deep, continuous hum—filled the channel as the six aircraft smoothly descended into denser air currents. The digital distance counter blinked, decreasing second by second.
When the alert marker reached ten kilometers, Pod 042's electronic voice broke the silence.
Pod 042: [Alert: enemy units sighted ahead.]
1D: [Requesting permission to engage.]
Operator 6O: [Permission granted.]
At that exact moment, a beam of energy cut through the sky in a blazing flash. It happened so fast that the sensors barely had time to react. 2B instinctively spun her flight unit in a spiral, narrowly evading the laser that pierced the space where she had been milliseconds earlier.
The other units reacted immediately. 11B, however, was not as fortunate—one of the shots tore through the side of her fuselage, ripping away a sequence of metal plates.
[All units, engage!]
The command rang out with authority. The six flight units responded almost simultaneously, and the sky transformed into a storm of fire.
In response, the mechanical lifeforms emerged—an entire swarm of metallic shapes flying in chaotic patterns, their red eyes glowing ominously.
The airspace was consumed by visual chaos: explosions and beams streaking across the horizon. It became impossible to distinguish sky from battlefield—everything had turned into a sphere of moving destruction.
[Enemy aircraft numbers increasing. Requesting switch to maneuver mode.]
[Maneuver mode activated.]
2B's flight unit began to transform. The wings retracted, the turbines split apart, and the craft shifted into a humanoid form. The "wings" became mechanical arms, and the body gained full flexibility.
Speed decreased, but combat power increased exponentially.
The other five units followed suit, transforming almost simultaneously.
The crossfire reignited with doubled intensity. Under the coordinated assault of the units, the mechanical creatures began to fall one by one, their smoking shells spiraling toward the distant ground.
Within minutes, the sky was clear again.
Only the hum of engines and the distant echoes of debris remained among the clouds.
But the victory came at a cost.
1D's flight unit—the captain—was heavily damaged. She could barely maintain altitude.
11B, on the other hand, had no chance at all.
A direct hit struck her, and her flight unit exploded midair, turning into a fireball that vanished into the clouds.
There hadn't even been time to eject.
Now, only four units remained to complete the mission.
According to YoRHa protocol, command automatically transferred to 2B, the new leader.
After confirming there were no more enemy signals, she returned to fighter mode.
[This is Headquarters. You are one kilometer southeast of the target point. Unit 9S is already in the area. Rendezvous with him immediately.]
[Understood.]
Flying straight in would be reckless—any direct approach would draw the attention of hostile machines.
Thus, the four flight units altered course, descending smoothly until they disappeared beneath the clouds.
Seconds later, they landed in an isolated zone.
From a partially collapsed building, a young figure with silver hair and a calm expression emerged.
He was shorter than 2B and wore a faint smile.
As she disembarked from her flight unit, a small metallic structure detached from her back and activated, floating beside her.
It was a smooth-surfaced mechanical box equipped with small arms and thrusters—a support unit.
Pod 042.
Silently accompanying her, the Pod rotated on its axis, projecting analytical holograms. Its robotic voice sounded firm and neutral:
Pod 042: [Atmospheric conditions stable. Area safe for ground operations. Recommendation: initiate reconnaissance immediately.]
2B gave a slight nod.
The Pod possessed monumental computational capacity, and its artificial logic bordered on what many would call "intuition."
In seconds, it could analyze the surrounding situation, calculate countless variables, predict threats, and determine the optimal course of action.
It was the kind of support that turned a YoRHa unit into an unstoppable force.
But it was not merely an observational tool.
Its weapon systems, hidden beneath its compact structure, were capable of unleashing concentrated energy bursts, guided missiles, and precision lasers.
---
"You must be Miss 2B, correct?"
The voice of a young android echoed through the communication channel, calm yet lively.
"I'm 9S. I've been assigned to provide support for this search-and-tracking operation."
The Scanner-type android's tone was confident, but also carried a hint of excitement—something rare among YoRHa units.
Like all reconnaissance models, 9S possessed advanced intellect but limited aptitude for direct combat. That was why he had been waiting near the forest, anticipating the moment when the main forces would arrive so they could advance together.
"Understood."
2B's reply was brief and firm, her voice cold.
With a simple nod, she gave the signal, and the group formed up, advancing silently toward the forest.
They first moved toward the location where signs of battle had been detected.
The scene was desolate: machine carcasses were scattered across the ground.
"How did he make such a clean cut?" 9S asked, kneeling beside one of the severed pieces.
He ran his fingers along the surface of the fracture—it was so smooth that it reflected sunlight.
"There's nothing in the YoRHa database that can cause a cut like this," he murmured, frowning. "None of our weapons are that sharp…"
He clicked his tongue in frustration.
With no answers, the group pressed on.
The forest ahead seemed to swallow the light.
[No mechanical lifeforms detected]
announced the Pod in its neutral synthetic voice.
With that confirmation, 2B led the group out of the city ruins.
They stepped onto a patch of bare land near the forest's edge, where there was almost no cover.
It was an open and vulnerable area—an obvious invitation for an ambush.
As a precaution, 9S remained at the center of the formation, while the other four androids positioned themselves at the perimeter, covering all four cardinal directions.
Communications with the Bunker had been cut—a necessary security protocol.
Any open transmission could allow the mechanical lifeforms to breach the central system.
[Warning: YoRHa units have reached the point where the target was last seen.]
The report came from the Pod, breaking the silence of the area.
Then something unusual happened.
---
(End of Chapter)