Why.

Ssssshhhht!

The sharp, ear-piercing screech of projectiles ricocheting off metal and stone filled the air, melding seamlessly into the mess of arms sparking, drivers discharging, and sequences firing in rapid succession.

Light flared sporadically—bright, violent flashes cutting through the dark—before the night swallowed the space whole again.

Bang. Bang.

The cacophony continued, each sound punctuated by another body dropping like dead weight. The ground was littered with corpses—some sprawled, others crumpled, their forms twisted, broken, spent. Entrails spilled out like grotesque decorations, steam rising from fresh wounds. One body had been carved open so deep that jagged slivers of bone gleamed through the flesh. Another poor spirit had clung to life for mere moments—

Until a blade found the head

Blood seeped into the cracks of the pavement, and the body slumped into lifeless stillness.

"Fucking horseshit!" Seraniti snarled, her voice cutting through the madness like a gunshot. "All my work, and it goes up in shit!"

She spat another curse, even harsher than the last, as she threw herself behind a crate, chest heaving.

Svalinn hovered in front of the crate, absorbing the impact as shrapnel clattered against its chassis, the ringing impact melding into the chaos around her.

Without hesitation, she flicked her wrist, commanding ZeroTwo forward. The battery rod disengaged with a sharp hiss, sliding out smoothly as residual energy crackled along its surface.

Before it even had a chance to drop, her fingers were already moving. The transition smooth and practiced. A quick swap. A sharp, satisfying click.

potential surged through ZeroTwo once more, it humed faintly—the subtle, familiar sound of renewed life.

Seraniti barely spared it a glance.

Svalinn was built for efficiency, housing four battery rods, each fueling thirty-six projectiles.

She peeked out from behind the crate, eyes narrowing as she scanned the battlefield. The air was thick with smoke, the metallic tang of blood mixing with the acrid scent of burnt flesh. Corpses lay strewn across the ground like discarded dolls, twisted and broken—brutal reminders of how quickly a single mistake could turn fatal.

Her jaw clenched. Fingers twitched instinctively, her mind already calculating her next move.

Get a grip, Sera. This wasn't over.

How did this happen? One might wonder.

Let's rewind an hour—back to 28:07, four hours before a new day began.

At that time, Seraniti was moving through the dimly lit streets leading to the aerial docks, her steps light, deliberate. The roads, designed for transport vehicles, were deserted at this hour, providing the perfect cover. She slipped into an alleyway, pressing her back against the cold wall as she crouched down, knees bent.

A flick of her wrist. A screen materialized before her from her bracelet, glowing faintly in the darkness.

She navigated to the local network, fingers moving with practiced ease. This was where she hoped to find her answer.

Aerial docking—one of the two main types of transportation in Terra II. To understand its significance, one first had to consider the plates they operated on—sections. Each section functioned as an independent hub, seamlessly integrated into the larger framework of the city.

One defining feature of sclera sections was that the docks were always positioned along the long sides of the plate. A strategic choice—minimizing space consumption while maximizing efficiency.

Seraniti's current home, Brewster Heights, was one of the largest cities on Fiesta, home to an estimated seventy million residents. A sprawling metropolis, massive even by Terra II's standards.

For comparison, Brewster Heights housed a functioning sea in Section 01—a rare feature for an urban plate. This was due to its proximity to the Verschlingen Meer—also known as the Sea That Devours.

She scrolled further, scanning for the information she needed while her eyes periodically flicked up, ensuring she was still alone. Her fingers tapped lightly against the screen as she absorbed the details.

Aerial ships come in various sizes, ranging from five hundred meters in length with a width of a hundred and fithteen meters—considered average—to larger models stretching a thousand meters. These lengths are tailored to civilians, but aerial warships are a different matter entirely.

Warships can easily double these measurements, depending on whether they are standard aerial warships or high-speed aerial warships. The same scale applies to terrestrial warships, though their docking methods vary slightly.

The Sclera Plates—the foundational structures of the sections—feature dedicated ports specifically designed for warship docking. At the bottom of each plate are rectangular cutouts measuring 400 meters tall and proportionally scaled to the plate's overall height, typically 1/7th of its size. Each of these ports can house two warships at a time or one larger one.

For smaller landships, platforms are used to lift them slightly off the ground. These platforms, while functional for smaller landships, are also a common feature in outposts, which operate on the smallest scale compared to their urban counterparts.

Seraniti's eyes flicked back to her screen, her mind processing the layout and logistics of the docks. She tapped further on images, confirming the size ranges and capacity limits for the aerial ships stationed in Section 27.

Each dock could hold between three to seven ships, depending on the section's size and the overall capacity of the city's infrastructure. She skimmed over documents of docking mechanisms before pausing to glance around again, her senses on high alert.

Her focus returned to the page as she muttered under her breath, "This city never does anything small, does it?" The sheer scale of Brewster Heights was both awe-inspiring and daunting, a testament to the Common Era's engineering advancements.

The aerial docks alone were an example of how far civilizations had come, balancing functionality with the challenges of space constraints.

As she sat there in the shadows, surrounded by the hum of distant machinery and faint city noise, Seraniti knew the information she was gathering would be critical. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned back against the wall. Now, let's find this visitor.

Her thoughts were cut short by the sound of shuffling to her right. Her body tensed instinctively as her eyes darted toward the movement. A K9 emerged from the adjacent building, its canine features illuminated by the dim alleyway lights.

Its sword gleamed faintly in its hand, and its dog-like head turned toward her with sharp, predatory precision.

"The fuck you doing here, lady?" the K9 barked, his voice low and gravelly, laced with suspicion. "This is restricted area!"

He didn't wait for an answer. With a practiced motion, he closed the door behind him and hurled a small metallic object into the air. Seraniti's heart sank as her instincts screamed at her to act.

Shit, no! A signal flare!

Her body moved on instinct. She leapt to her feet, grabbing Svalinns' handle and hurling the screen in a wide arc toward the K9. The heavy object cut through the air with a low hum, aimed squarely at his torso. But luck wasn't on her side. The K9 dodged with a swift sidestep, his movements fluid despite his bulky frame.

He howled loudly, a sharp, ear-piercing sound that sent chills down Seraniti's spine. The howl wasn't just a warning—it was a beacon. If anyone hadn't noticed the flare, they would now.

Ssssshhhh… POP!

The flare erupted mid-air, flooding the alley with blinding light. The once-dark pathway was now bathed in an unnatural brightness, every shadow laid bare. Seraniti winced, raising an arm to shield her eyes as she gritted her teeth.

"Dumbass!" she spat under her breath, her free hand yanking sharply to summon Svalinn back to her side. The screen veered back toward her, narrowly avoiding the K9 as it returned to her grasp. The moment it was back in her hand, she crouched a little, her body tense as she scanned her surroundings.

"You think you can get outta here now?" the K9 growled, baring his sharp teeth as he pointed his sword toward her. "Lights are up, lady. You're done."

Seraniti glared at him, her fingers tightening around Svalinns' handle. "Big talk for someone who couldn't even hit a stationary target," she shot back, her voice dripping with venom. She adjusted her stance, her mind racing as she considered her options. The flare would bring reinforcements any second now, and the K9 wasn't about to let her slip away quietly.

The K9 lunged forward, his sword cutting through the air in a swift, calculated arc. Seraniti blocked the strike with her screen, the impact sending a jarring vibration through her arm. Sparks flew as metal collided with Svalinn's durable chassis. She grunted, pushing back with enough force to create some distance between them.

"Not bad," the K9 growled, pacing in a slow circle around her. "But you think you can hold off more of us when they get here? You're outta time, lady. Just give it up."

"Not a chance," Seraniti muttered. She shifted her grip on Svalinn, her eyes darting to the edges of the alley. She needed a plan, and fast.

The K9 lunged again, his strikes coming faster now, his sword clanging against the screen in a relentless rhythm. Seraniti gritted her teeth, each blow testing her strength as she parried and deflected with practiced precision. Her arms burned from the effort, but she refused to back down.

Think, Sera. Think.

Her gaze flicked upward, spotting a precarious stack of crates balanced near the edge of the building. An idea sparked, reckless but worth the gamble. She adjusted her stance, sidestepping another swing before slamming it into the ground. 

"Nice shield," the K9 sneered, his stance shifting as he prepared to charge. "Shame it's gonna break along with you."

"Keep talking, Puto." Seraniti shot back, her free hand gesturing subtly toward the crates above.

The K9 lunged once more, his focus entirely on her. At the last second, she twisted her body, using Svalinn to deflect the strike while simultaneously pulling hard with her free hand. The crates above groaned under the strain of her pull before crashing down in a chaotic heap.

The K9 let out a startled yelp as the debris rained down on him. He managed to dodge most of it, but one heavy crate clipped his shoulder, sending him staggering backward before the K9 quickly ran.

Seraniti didn't wait.

She made Svalinn levitate behind her as the same time as ZeroTwo went in front of her while ZeroThree went to her left side and sprinted down the alley, her boots pounding against the ground as she moved.

"Get back here!" the K9 roared, but she was already out of reach.

Her breathing was ragged as she rounded a corner, her mind racing. The flare's light still burned brightly in the distance, and she knew it wouldn't be long before reinforcements arrived. She needed to find cover—and fast.

Seraniti moved swiftly, her boots pounding against the ground as she chased the K9 through the winding alleyways. Turn after turn, she followed him, her patience wearing thin with every step. Finally, she had enough. Her eyes narrowed as she gestured sharply, bringing ZeroThree into position ahead of her. The apparatus spun faster, a low hum building as she calculated where he would run next.

Reinforcements would be on her soon—crashing down like the shifting waves of the Black Sand Wüst. If she was going to make a stand, it had to be now.

Her lips curled into a grim smile as she switched ammunition types. The apparatus of ZeroThree glowed faintly, signaling the round chambering itself. "Let's go out with a bang," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the cannon. She aimed telekinetically, the sleek barrel adjusting with precision to lock onto her target.

Fwoom... The apparatus spun faster, building potential with every second until— Boom!

An incendiary round burst from the barrel, the Lavoisier round igniting as it passed through the apparatus. The shot roared forward, tearing through the air before slamming into the alleyway just meters ahead of the K9. The explosion lit up the night, reducing a stack of crates to burning rubble. Smoke billowed out in thick waves, the acrid scent of charred wood and fuel filling the air. The ground beneath her shook lightly from the impact, and for a moment, everything seemed to still.

Then came the howls.

The echoes of K9s rang out, sharp and guttural, as more emerged from the smoke. Seraniti's jaw tightened at the sound of them laughing—an eerie, hollow noise that grated on her nerves. The sound of their joy was almost worse than their aggression. They leapt and bounded into the chaos like feral animals, the faint glow of the flames dancing across their twisted, dog-like features.

"Lady Seraniti!" one of them taunted, his voice sing-song and mocking. "We've missed you, you know. Those grey eyes of yours always so tired—so bored. What's the matter? Aren't we exciting enough for you?"

Another laughed, crouching on all fours like a beast as his claws scraped against the ground. "The banshee's stiff feathers still look the same! Tired and broken—just like her!" He howled again, his tail wagging in delight as the others joined in, their voices overlapping in discordant chaos.

Seraniti's eyes burned with frustration as she adjusted her stance, her feathers bristling behind her. Fucking animals. She thought bitterly. These K9s weren't like others—there was no honor, no purpose to their existence. 

"STOP FUCKING AROUND!" the handler's voice rang out, calm, irritated and dripping with disdain. "Make it quick, though. We've got work to do."

Seraniti was cold and sharp as she brought her cannons into position. "Quick? You think they'll last more than thirty seconds?" She called out, her voice carrying over the crackle of the flames.

ZeroThree tilted downward as it reloaded, hissing faintly as the next round chambered itself. The K9s didn't wait—they lunged forward, laughing and howling as they leapt through the smoke toward her.

With a quick motion, Seraniti pulled Svalinn into her hand, gripping the handle tightly as she slammed it into the ground. 

"Come on, then." she muttered, raising her red-stained hands to her face. The flames reflected in her grey eyes, cold and tired yet unyielding. Her feathers bristled, stiff and sharp, like a warning to the feral creatures before her.

The K9s paused for only a moment, their laughter turning into snarls as they bounded toward her. Behind them, their handler form revealed itself, in his hand was a handgun.