A few seconds passed, and the dust still hadn't settled.
The battlefield was unrecognizable—filled with smoking craters, melted debris, and twisted fragments of mechanical lifeforms scattered in every direction. The air was thick with the smell of burnt oil and the heat of molten metal.
2B was the first to move.
She dashed through the ruins, weaving past still-glowing metal plates. A2 followed closely behind. When they reached the center of the devastation, A2 suddenly stopped.
There, in the middle of the smoke, stood a swirling pillar of flames. Around it lay numerous metallic carcasses.
For a moment, the only sound was the distant roar of the rotating fire.
A few seconds later, the pillar finally dissipated—and Arthur stood at its center, holding his stone tablet, his expression best described as deeply irritated.
"Those bastards almost got me good… Good thing I can use magic here," he muttered, running a hand over the wound on his side.
"It's been a while since something made me bleed like this," he added, staring at the blood on his hand.
His clothes were, at best, still usable. The shirt he had been wearing was already ruined, while his pants and shoes were slightly burned.
"Gwen is going to kill me when she finds out what happened to the shoes she gave me," he grumbled as he looked at their condition.
With a snap of his fingers, his outfit changed. He was now wearing his Caster attire—consisting of loose red pants with openings around the knees and sides of the waist, along with a golden belt that supported a feather-like ornament on his back.
He also wore an open blue vest with red details, making no effort to hide his well-defined chest.
On his head rested a mix between a turban and a crown, with two white ribbons trailing down toward the feathers.
2B stared at his body in disbelief.
"Surprised? I suppose this is your first time seeing a human in the flesh," Arthur said.
"Stop talking. We need to deal with your injury first," she replied, stepping closer and examining the wound on his side.
"No need…" Arthur said as he pulled out a senzu bean from the Gate of Babylon.
After chewing it, his wound began to heal almost instantly.
2B's eyes widened in shock.
"Double surprise, huh?" Arthur laughed as he stored his stone tablet and stretched his arms.
At that exact moment, a flash cut across the sky, slicing through it like a blade of pure light.
The beam roared above Arthur, 2B, and A2's heads, illuminating the battlefield with a blinding white glow before striking the colossal Engels directly, causing the ground beneath them to tremble.
"What was that?" Arthur looked up in surprise.
Up above, hovering like a metallic eagle over the chaos, he spotted a flight unit—and inside it, the focused face of 9S.
"When the hell did he get that?" Arthur muttered, completely taken aback.
Just seconds ago, the android had been fighting alongside them on the ground.
Unfortunately, 9S's attack didn't seem to have the desired effect.
The energy beam scorched the giant machine's body, but Engels merely staggered, slowly turning its massive head before letting out a furious roar.
In the next instant, dozens—no, hundreds—of openings appeared across its metallic chest, unleashing a barrage of missiles and energy spheres in every direction.
The sound was deafening, like continuous thunder of destruction.
Arthur tried to pull A2 aside, but time was not on his side.
Before he could react, a shadow cut through the air above them at supersonic speed.
A flight unit dove in a risky low pass, the energy fields of the explosions nearly brushing its fuselage. In a precise maneuver, it latched onto them with a magnetic hook, dragging them into the sky.
Arthur's vision spun for a moment before stabilizing. The G-force shook them violently as the flight unit executed impossible evasive maneuvers, dodging missiles and energy blasts.
The one who saved them was 2B.
Or, more precisely, she had tried to save only Arthur—but since he still held tightly onto A2's arm, both were taken along.
How the hell did she get that again? Just seconds ago, she was right next to me!? Arthur thought, baffled.
As the wind roared around them, Arthur looked toward the android inside the cockpit and noticed the tension in her movements.
The reason for her actions was obvious: YoRHa androids were created to protect humanity.
And in their eyes, Arthur was absolute priority.
"2B, 9S," Arthur said firmly, "drop me and A2 down there. We'll deal with that tin can."
As he spoke, he pulled something from the Gate of Babylon and placed it in A2's hand.
"It's not something I'd call great," he explained. "But it's definitely far more effective than the sword you're using right now."
A2 looked at the gleaming blade, but before she could say anything, 2B intervened sharply:
"Proposal rejected!" her voice echoed firmly through the communicator. "There is no need to expose yourselves to such danger!"
Her tone was cold, but it concealed concern.
Arthur simply raised an eyebrow and replied dismissively.
"I reject your rejection."
Before 2B could argue further, he turned to the flight unit flying beside them.
"9S! Take over aerial support and operate 2B's unit via remote control!"
There was a brief silence.
Then an irritated sigh came through the line.
"You're all going to drive me insane…"
But before the android could finish, 2B realized what Arthur was about to do—and her expression changed completely.
"No—!"
But it was already too late.
Arthur had already jumped.
A2 followed.
The two leapt from the vehicle at high altitude, plunging in free fall directly above Engels' head.
I could probably end this using the Gate of Babylon or magic, but where's the fun in that? Besides, I've always wanted to cut down a giant robot with a sword. Arthur thought as an excited smile spread across his face.
Seeing that, 2B didn't hesitate for even a second. She broke free from the flight unit, leapt from the open cockpit, and dove after them.
From above, 9S shouted through the comms:
"You're all insane! This is putting me in a really difficult position!"
Even so, his hands were already moving frantically across the control panel.
Immediately, 2B's flight unit responded to his remote commands. The sky erupted into a spectacle of light and fire as 9S provided covering fire for the suicidal trio.
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(End of Chapter)