Chapter 66 - War Machine

The mechanical guardian stood like an immovable titan, its red eyes scanning the team with a cold, calculating gaze. Its arms unfolded, revealing dual-bladed weapons that gleamed under the flickering emergency lights.

Ryuuji whistled. "Man, this guy really went all out. I feel kinda honored."

Hotaru spun her knives, her stance shifting. "Less talk, more action."

The machine lunged forward, swinging one of its massive blades. The ground split beneath the impact, sending shockwaves through the narrow corridor. Sai barely dodged, flipping over the debris.

Mira hacked into her wrist device. "I'll try to disable its system. Buy me some time!"

Kuro, moving like a shadow, darted up the machine's arm, claws sparking against the metal as he tried to reach its head.

Tora's voice crackled through their earpieces. "Its core is in the chest. Hit that, and it's over."

Hotaru smirked. "Say less."

Sai sprinted low, using his dagger to deflect sparks as the machine's blade slashed down. He slid under its legs, slashing at the joints, but his weapon barely made a dent.

"Damn. This thing's tougher than I thought."

Ryuuji vaulted off a broken railing, landing on its back. "Let's test this baby's reflexes." He stabbed deep into the shoulder joint, twisting his blade. The machine jerked violently, trying to shake him off.

It swung an arm wildly, nearly crushing Hotaru. She flipped backward, then used the momentum to launch herself at its exposed core.

Before she could strike, the machine unleashed a powerful energy blast. The explosion sent her crashing against a wall.

"Hotaru!" Mira yelled.

Sai caught her before she hit the ground, eyes sharp with worry. "You okay?"

Hotaru coughed, wincing. "I've had worse." She wiped blood from her lip. "We need to take this thing down now."

Mira growled. "Still working on it!"

Ryuuji held on for dear life as the machine thrashed. "Anytime would be great!"

Tora, watching through the surveillance system, suddenly shouted. "Guys, jump!"

Without hesitation, Hotaru, Sai, and Ryuuji leapt away. A second later, the machine's chest sparked wildly before detonating in a fiery explosion. The force sent them tumbling to the ground.

When the smoke cleared, Mira grinned, holding up her wrist device. "You're welcome."

Hotaru groaned, pushing herself up. "You really waited until the last second, huh?"

Sai chuckled. "That's just her style."

Tora's voice came through. "Security's down. The facility is open. Time to finish this."

Hotaru's eyes darkened. "Shiro's next."

To be continued…

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