Jun gripped his energy blade tightly, his knuckles white. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move. He planted his feet firmly on the shattered ground, the exo-frame humming faintly as it bolstered his strength.

“You can’t take that thing alone!” Alya shouted from behind him, flames sparking around her hands as she prepared to charge in.

“Stay back!” Jun yelled over his shoulder. “If it’s focused on me, you can get the others out.”

Alya hesitated, her frustration boiling over. “You’re insane! You don’t even have powers!”

Jun didn’t answer. He stared down the Harbinger leader, his mind racing. I don’t need powers. I just need to find a way to stop it.

The Harbinger leader let out a guttural, metallic growl, its arms shifting into massive, spiked hammers. With a roar, it slammed one of the hammers down toward Jun. He rolled to the side just in time, the ground where he’d stood erupting in a cloud of debris.

“Jun, move faster!” Kael’s voice barked over the comms. “Keep it distracted, but don’t get yourself killed!”

Jun dodged another crushing blow, his enhanced speed barely keeping him ahead of the Harbinger’s relentless attacks. Each strike shook the ground, sending shockwaves that made it harder to stay on his feet. His mind was laser-focused on the creature’s movements, looking for any opening he could exploit.

“Jun!” Alya shouted again, her voice filled with desperation. She launched a barrage of flames at the Harbinger leader, the intense heat forcing it to pause for a moment. “If you’re staying, so am I!”

The flames scorched the Harbinger’s metallic skin, but it quickly regenerated, its wounds sealing over as if nothing had happened. It turned toward Alya, its eyes narrowing.

“Damn it, Alya, I said stay back!” Jun shouted, rushing forward. He leapt onto the creature’s back, driving his energy blade into the base of its neck. Sparks flew, and the Harbinger roared in pain, thrashing wildly to shake him off.

Alya took advantage of the distraction, her flames intensifying as she launched another attack. “If you think I’m letting you hog the spotlight, you’ve got another thing coming!”

The Harbinger staggered, its movements slowing as Jun’s blade struck a critical point. He held on tightly, his exo-frame groaning under the strain.

“We’ve got it!” Alya yelled, a flicker of hope in her voice.

But before they could press their advantage, the Harbinger’s body shimmered with dark energy. Its wounds healed faster than before, and its arms morphed into razor-sharp chains that lashed out in all directions. One chain caught Jun, ripping him off its back and sending him crashing into the ground.

“Jun!” Alya screamed, rushing to his side. She knelt beside him, flames flickering weakly around her hands. “Are you okay?”

Jun coughed, struggling to sit up. His exo-frame was damaged, sparks flying from its joints. “I’m fine,” he muttered, wincing as he tried to move. “We need to take it down before it wipes us all out.”

Alya helped him to his feet, her eyes blazing with determination. “Then let’s finish this.”

Before the Harbinger leader could attack again, a deafening roar cut through the battlefield. Jun and Alya turned to see a squad of Sentinel strike force mechs charging in, their energy cannons glowing brightly.

“Reinforcements!” Kael’s voice crackled over the comms. “Fall back! Let them handle it!”

The Sentinel strike force mechs unleashed a barrage of firepower, their plasma bolts slamming into the Harbinger leader with unrelenting force. The creature roared, its regenerative abilities struggling to keep up with the onslaught.

Jun and Alya staggered back, watching as the massive creature was slowly forced to its knees.

“Is it over?” Alya asked, her voice cautious.

Jun shook his head. “Not yet. It’s still moving.”

The Harbinger leader let out one final, guttural roar, its body convulsing as it unleashed a massive shockwave. The Sentinel strike force mechs were pushed back, their systems briefly faltering.

Jun’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. “It’s going to self-destruct!”

“Everyone, fall back now!” Kael shouted through the comms. “Get to minimum safe distance!”

Jun grabbed Alya’s arm, pulling her away from the blast zone. The Harbinger leader’s body began to glow with an eerie red light, the ground beneath it cracking and splintering.

The explosion was deafening, a blinding flash of red energy consuming everything within a hundred-meter radius. Jun and Alya hit the ground as the shockwave rolled over them, debris raining down like shrapnel.

When the dust settled, the battlefield was eerily quiet. The Harbinger leader was gone, its massive form reduced to molten slag. The remaining Harbingers, without their leader, began to retreat, their metallic bodies fading into the distance.

Jun groaned as he pushed himself up, his body aching all over. Alya sat beside him, her flames extinguished, but her fiery spirit still intact.

“We did it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jun nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “Yeah. But this was just one battle.”

Kael approached, her rifle slung over her shoulder. She looked down at Jun, her expression unreadable. “You disobeyed a direct order.”

Jun met her gaze, unflinching. “And saved lives.”

Kael smirked faintly. “Fair enough. But don’t make a habit of it, Yoshida.”

Jun managed a tired smile as he stood. Thinking of the dangers that lie beyond.