"Go to Velnord, in the northern territory!"
Those were Carina's final words to him—spoken just before her body was bombarded by millions of bullet energy rounds from every direction.
Azca was thrown back, then swallowed by the darkness at the base of the building. His body went numb, refusing to move. He didn't resist as gravity dragged him down.
A Genesta was not so easily killed by a single attack or a fall from great height. Even so—slamming into the ground from the top of a building was no trivial matter.
The pain would come. He had already prepared himself for it.
"Azcaaa!"
A small metallic voice he knew all too well tore through the night. But Azca could no longer respond. Even opening his eyes felt impossible.
Percy shot downward. With his tiny claws, he caught Azca's body just before it hit the ground. The drone wobbled violently, nearly losing control under the weight far greater than its size could handle. It spun erratically in the air before finally regaining balance, though it still struggled to stay aloft.
"Azca! Are you okay?!"
"…Yeah." His voice was hoarse and thin. "What about… the others?"
Percy fell silent for a fraction of a second. "Our troops inside the building… none survived. They—they just exploded. I don't understand what happened."
Azca's breathing grew heavier. "... So it's true."
"True? What do you mean?"
"They turned us into walking bombs."
"W-Walking bombs?!" Percy's voice spiked, mechanical vibrations buzzing audibly.
Azca closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the pain creeping through his body. "Percy… we're heading to Velnord. The northern territory."
"Velnord? Why there?"
"I'll explain later." He drew a short breath. "Fly as fast as you can."
Percy didn't ask again. "Alright. Hold tight."
The small drone shot into the night, carrying Azca away from the building that was now nothing but rubble and dark secrets.
As his body swayed in midair, Azca glanced back. The building remained a storm of explosions and flashing lights. The battle wasn't over.
They truly intended to kill Carina.
And yet, even now, she was still standing. Relentless attacks and overwhelming numbers had not been enough to bring her down. An Ultimate Core user… was no ordinary opponent.
Their escape was relatively smooth. No one pursued them. Most likely, the Black Cloaks assumed Azca had been crushed beneath the ruins. That gave them a brief moment to breathe.
They were nearly at the border of Velnord when Percy suddenly jolted, as if realizing something.
"Eh?! Th-That's…?!"
"What is it?"
"T-This is bad! Th-They're chasing us!"
Azca followed Percy's line of sight.
About fifty meters ahead, dozens of drones were already lined up in formation, blocking their path. The metal bodies hovered silently before slowly glowing red. The cylindrical cores at their centers shimmered—ready to fire.
"B-B-B-B-B—!"
"—Bank left!"
Percy swerved sharply on reflex. A barrage of shots tore through the air behind them, narrowly missing. The drones moved in perfect unison, pursuing without hesitation.
A chase became inevitable. They darted between buildings, diving and climbing along concrete walls like navigating a vertical labyrinth. Red flashes of gunfire streaked past, reflecting off glass and steel every time Percy twisted to evade.
"Whaaa! Why are they targeting us?! Aren't they supposed to be on our side?!"
"Not anymore," Azca replied shortly, steadying himself. "Percy, can you scan the city map? We need a safe route out."
"How am I supposed to do that while I'm being shot at?!"
"Then—"
Azca slipped a hand inside his cloak and pulled out the only item he had left.
"—scan after I blind them."
"O-Okay!"
He hurled a flash grenade behind them.
'Boom!'
A blinding burst of white light exploded across the night sky, temporarily blinding their pursuers. Several drones faltered, colliding midair before spiraling down out of control.
"Now!"
"Right!"
Percy's lens flared bright green. Within his vision, the cityscape unraveled into a rapidly shifting digital projection. Alternative routes appeared, until one path was marked in a glowing red line.
"Got it!"
"Good! Stick to that route!"
"But there are still a lot of them behi—! Whoa— that was close!"
A red shot grazed past his side.
"Leave it to me," Azca said calmly. "At the next turn, make a sharp cut."
"Got it!"
Percy veered sharply along the side of a building. The drones followed without hesitation, maintaining rigid, precise formation. Machines were machines—they chased in straight lines, without instinct.
Then suddenly, something stretched between two concrete walls.
A black shroud.
'Whoosh!'
Azca's cloak expanded dramatically, spreading like a massive net across the narrow passage. The drones had no time to avoid it. One by one, they slammed into the dark fabric and became ensnared, clinging like insects in a spider's web.
A few managed to swerve at the last second and escape the trap. But their numbers had been drastically reduced—only nine units remained active.
"How can you do that with your cloak?" Percy asked, his engine trembling.
"I modified it from the start," Azca replied briefly. "No one knew. Not even my team."
"You're incredible, Azca!"
"Percy! Watch out—!"
Too late.
From the front, several drones had already cut off their path. Red flashes ignited almost simultaneously. A merciless barrage rained down.
Percy was blasted backward, losing balance before crashing hard into a building wall. They plummeted. The small drone's energy dimmed drastically; its boosters flickered weakly before going silent.
Azca was worse off.
Blood streamed from his head, staining the side of his face. His vision blurred. The silhouettes of drones above him doubled and wavered, hovering with their gun barrels glowing red once more.
He had no room left to move.
The low hum of their engines echoed like a countdown. The cylindrical cores shone brightly, then unleashed another relentless storm of bullet energy.
Azca closed his eyes.
There was no way his body could survive a barrage like that.
"…?"
Strange.
There was no pain. No impact. The shots had clearly been aimed straight at him.
Azca slowly opened his eyes.
A thin blue light enveloped him, forming a transparent protective layer. He didn't know what had happened. All he knew was that he was still alive—and that light was the reason.
Moments later, a girl's voice reached him. Soft. Gentle.
"Thank goodness… I made it in time."
She stood with her back to him. Then slowly turned toward Azca.
Moonlight bathed her figure, giving her a serenity that was difficult to describe. Her long black hair flowed freely, swaying in the night breeze. A natural calm radiated from her—a peaceful aura in stark contrast to the chaos moments before.
From her back extended a pair of translucent purple wings, thin and faintly shimmering. For a brief second, Azca truly believed he was looking at an angel.
But at the center of those wings was a symbol resembling a crystal. It felt familiar. Similar to the crystal emblem on Carina's sword.
The drones' humming broke the silence again. The girl glanced upward, then raised her left hand lightly.
"＜Energy Drain＞!"
A shimmering green aura emerged from her body and spread over the drones.
Instantly, the light within them dimmed. Their engines died simultaneously, and one by one they fell. The moment they touched the ground, their metal frames disintegrated into fine particles—like sand scattering in the wind.
Azca could only watch in silence. Awed. Relieved.
He didn't know the girl. Didn't know where she had come from.
But one thing was certain—she was not an enemy.
His consciousness began to fade. The blue light surrounding him slowly thinned.
Before everything went dark, the image of those purple wings was the last thing etched into his sight.
※ ※ ※ (CHAPTER – 01C) ※ ※ ※