Change of Plans

"Ray, why do we have to fight machines? You should've told her we were already heading into action where the boss is!" complained Ramona, her voice laced with irritation. Her furrowed brow was faintly illuminated by the flames dancing between her fingers. "Besides, my boss Adia must already be fighting… I wanted to see her use her full power."

Margaret sighed, crossing her arms as she gazed toward the horizon. Her tone was firm but calm, as always.

"There's no time to dwell on that, Ramona. We have a top priority mission: saving people from these machines."

Ramona huffed, letting out a small jet of fire from the corner of her mouth.

"Fine, what can we do about it? The good thing is that now I can finally roast them without holding back," she said, smirking confidently as her hands began to glow like burning embers.

"That's the spirit," remarked Brea, nodding in approval. Beside her, Marta and Sheila gave a thumbs-up as they watched Ramona shoot small bursts of fire from her hands and mouth, heating up the surrounding air.

Margaret frowned slightly, deep in thought.

"It's too bad we don't have someone from Adrian's team. Some gadget to track these damn things would've come in handy."

At that moment, blood-curdling screams echoed in the distance. Everyone turned their heads toward the source of the sound: a young couple was running desperately, pursued by a car roaring like a mechanical predator. The vehicle sped forward, smashing through bushes and kicking up dust in its wake.

"Remember, we're in a small town outside Tokyo," commented Brea, her expression grim. "Everything here is pure technology."

The car screeched to a sudden halt before transforming. Within seconds, its metallic parts were reconfigured, much like in those old cartoons where vehicles turn into robots. Before them emerged a gigantic robot that spat fire from its mouth, equipped with machine guns for hands and an ominous glare that seemed to pierce right through them.

"I don't think they're coming in peace," muttered Marta, nervously adjusting her gloves.

"You think?" responded Sheila sarcastically, though her eyes betrayed concern.

"Both of you, put up a telekinetic shield to protect the couple from the gunfire," ordered Margaret, urgently pointing toward the robot that was already aiming its weapons.

Instantly, Marta and Sheila extended their hands, focusing intently. A bluish glow enveloped the couple just as bullets began slamming into the invisible energy barrier. The projectiles ricocheted with deafening clangs, carving grooves into the ground and kicking up clouds of dirt.

Meanwhile, Ray unsheathed his sword with a silvery flash. But before he could take a step forward, a burst of heat whizzed past him. It was Ramona, already engulfed in flames, flying directly toward the robot like a blazing comet. With a fierce cry, she struck the metallic torso of the giant, leaving a smoking crater in the center of its body. The robot staggered and collapsed into pieces.

"Bah! Stupid machine," Ramona declared arrogantly, brushing the ashes off her hands. But she had no time to celebrate. Suddenly, a rusty pipe struck her from behind, sending her crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

"I think there are more coming," warned Brea, pointing toward the horizon. Several more machines were approaching, each emitting a menacing hum. A cement mixer led the group, using its massive drum as an improvised bazooka. It launched a barrage of debris and heavy objects that whistled through the air.

"Watch out!" shouted Brea, raising a psychic shield just in time to stop the projectiles.

Margaret ran over to Ramona, who was still lying on the ground, dazed.

"Are you alright?" she asked, helping her up.

Ramona shook off the dust and grinned, revealing her sharp teeth.

"Well, better for me. More things to burn," she declared, quickly recovering thanks to her regenerative magic. Flames once again enveloped her like a fiery aura, transforming her into a human comet.

"I'm going in again, damn robots!" she exclaimed, launching herself at full speed toward the group of machines, leaving behind a trail of fire that illuminated the night sky.

Brea was busy fending off a group of robots when she noticed something alarming: more machines were emerging from the base of Radar Japan. These androids were the size of an average person, but their design was lethal, featuring sharp edges and blinking lights that glowed like watchful eyes. The worst part came when the ship that had transported them transformed as well, rising up as a colossal robot armed to the teeth.

From her position, Ramona turned her head just in time to see Brea surrounded by the new enemies. A mischievous smile crossed her face as she snapped her fingers. Out of nowhere, a swarm of giant floating arrows materialized around her. With a quick gesture, she cracked her other hand and shouted:

"FLAMES ARROWS!"

Thousands of fiery arrows rained down from the sky like an infernal storm, slamming into the robots with thunderous explosions. The machines burst into flames, their circuits crackling as molten metal dripped to the ground. Ramona observed the chaos with satisfaction, muttering:

"More trash to burn."

Meanwhile, Ray finds himself facing a peculiar group of enemies: small, possessed appliances emerging from the slopes of a nearby mountain. They seemed fragile, but their erratic and deadly behavior left no doubt—they were dangerous.

"Be careful," warned Margaret, concern evident in her voice. "Remember, they're not human; they're machines. Don't underestimate their attack capabilities."

"Relax," replied Ray calmly, his tone serene but firm. "I can sense their movements, even what's happening beneath my feet. My senses have been enhanced thanks to my training. I see the world differently… metaphorically speaking, of course."

Margaret looked at him, surprised.

"How do you know that? How do you perceive without seeing?"

"It's like having a television in my mind," he explained, moving agilely among the enemies while wielding his sword. "With the help of specialized devices, I learned to differentiate various light spectrums and their forms. Now, I can 'see' through colors and sensations. Everything has its own energy signature. For example, you have a soft blue aura—calm but intense. It's fascinating."

Margaret paused thoughtfully, impressed by his explanation.

"I understand. But look up!" she suddenly shouted, pointing toward the sky.

A flying robot was descending rapidly toward Ray. Without hesitation, he spun his sword, which was still pointed at the ground, and sliced the enemy in two with a fluid motion. Then, he gave a slight smile.

"Thanks for the warning, but I already sensed it. I expanded my sensory range like radar. Nothing escapes my perception."

Margaret nodded, admiring his skill. At that moment, she lifted two robots telekinetically and slammed them into each other with brutal force.

"You're incredible," she remarked thoughtfully. "You've turned your weakness into strength. I shouldn't have underestimated you."

"If you're wondering," continued Ray, his tone reflective, "I've trained day and night to overcome any adversity. Adversity has taught me to understand the world in ways others can't imagine. Though I can't see with my eyes, the power granted to me allows me to 'see' differently. I sense others—their emotions, their moods—all reflected in vibrant colors within my mind."

Margaret looked at him with renewed respect.

"You're good. Very good. That must make you practically unstoppable."

"Not quite," he responded modestly, "but I can defend myself and protect others, even with my condition."

"Wow," she said, giving a faint smile. "Maybe when all this is over, we can talk more."

"A date, then?" joked Ray, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"No, it's not what you think!" Margaret shot back, visibly blushing. But her momentary distraction almost cost her dearly. Two robots crept up silently, ready to attack. Before she could react, Ray was already there. With a swift motion, he cut down the enemies and scooped her up in his arms, pulling her out of harm's way.

"Hey!" Margaret shouted, still cradled in Ray's arms. "Put me down! Don't you see I'm the Second-in-command of Squad C?"

"What's wrong, boss?" teased Marta, smirking. "Are you dating a samurai now?"

"Shut up and keep attacking!" Margaret ordered, completely red as Ray gently set her back on her feet.

"Thank you," she murmured, adjusting her uniform and trying to regain her composure. Then, she quickly walked away, though she couldn't help but think to herself: Well, he risked his life for me… I suppose that counts as a reason to give him a chance. A date, maybe? We'll see.

From a distance, Marta, Sheila, and Brea exchanged knowing glances.

"The boss is in love," they murmured in unison, chuckling softly.

"Hey!" Margaret shouted, interrupting the moment. "If you're done fooling around, there are more machines to defeat and people to protect!"

"There's no time for trivialities! Focus! We need to save the civilians and take these things down. That's an order," Margaret declared firmly, her voice thundering over the chaos. She raised both hands and, with a fluid motion, created two telekinetic waves that collided with each other, disintegrating nearby robots in an explosion of twisted metal. "While Chief Azulema isn't on the field, leadership falls to me."

"This woman has determination," commented Brea, smiling as she extended an invisible shield around more panicked civilians fleeing from the killer machines.

At that moment, Ray moved swiftly toward a rocky elevation. From there, he spotted something alarming: a large crowd from the nearest town was running toward them, fleeing the relentless machines chasing them.

"More people are coming!" Ray shouted, leaping agilely between the rocks and positioning himself in front of the machines threatening the civilians. With a precise swing of his sword, he invoked his technique RA-Y-TOK: First Form - Violet Crescent Moon. A crescent-shaped burst of energy sliced through the air, cutting several robots into pieces with a single strike.

"Ray!" shouted Ramona from a distance, her body engulfed in flames that illuminated the dark forest.

"What?" he responded, turning his head toward her.

"I need your help over here!" Brea called out, deploying another telekinetic shield to protect the nearby civilians.

Ramona heard her, though she was annoyed by the interruption. Without losing focus, she incinerated machines left and right with almost casual movements, as if she were enjoying watching everything burn in her path. The flames danced between her hands, casting orange glimmers across her determined face.

"Please, I need your help here," Brea repeated, urgently pointing toward a group of robots that Ray's attack hadn't yet reached.

Without wasting a second, Ramona raised both hands and created a torrent of fiery projectiles. With a fierce roar, she launched the flaming spheres at the remaining enemies, reducing them to ashes within seconds. The scorching heat lit up the battlefield, and the acrid smell of melted metal filled the air.

"Wow, she's really something," murmured Ray, impressed by her power. However, feeling Margaret's annoyed glare at him, he quickly clarified: "In a good way, I meant her firepower. Don't worry."

Once the last robots were eliminated, Sheila and Marta dissolved the massive telekinetic shield they had created to protect the citizens. Exhausted but grateful, the people approached the team to thank them. An elderly man, tears in his eyes, said:

"Please, we need your help. There are more people trapped in the capital. The machines have taken full control of the area."

A small girl, no older than six, timidly approached and tugged at Ray's uniform. When he knelt down to look into her eyes, she said in a sweet but determined voice:

"You're superheroes."

"Well, no one's ever called us that before," commented Brea, surprised.

"I guess we are," joked Sheila, laughing softly.

The girl, still looking at them with admiration, added:

"Can you help me, then? My mom is there, and I'm scared of her."

"Alright, let's go after the rest of the robots," said Ray, though he frowned as he realized a problem. "But we don't know the way."

"I can guide you," the girl offered bravely. "My mom is there, and I want to bring her back."

Margaret knelt down to the girl and gently stroked her cheeks, looking at her as if she were her own daughter.

"Alright, say no more, little one. Tell us which way to go," she said with a warm smile.

The girl looked at both women—Margaret and Ramona—and then pointed to Ray.

"I'd rather go with the samurai," she said decisively. Without hesitation, Ray lifted her and carefully placed her on his back.

"Please take good care of the girl," the townspeople pleaded, worried. Ray responded firmly:

"Before anything happens to her, I'll give up my life."

A woman who appeared to be the girl's neighbor spoke emotionally:

"Take care, Emiko."

"I will, and I'll bring my mommy back," promised the little girl with determination.

"How adorable," sighed Margaret, momentarily fantasizing about having a child and Ray being the father.

"Earth to Margaret!" interrupted Brea, waving a hand in front of her face. "Wake up! I think it's time to get moving."

"Right, let's go," said Margaret, shaking her head to return to the present. She looked ahead and saw that Ray had already started walking toward the city with Emiko on his back.

"Oh, how awful that the machines have gone berserk and there's no transportation. I hate walking," Sheila and Marta complained in unison, crossing their arms.

The team, guided by little Emiko, continued their journey toward the capital, ready to face whatever awaited them there.