“I see the island!” Garland mentioned.

Rein quickly ate his instant meal bar, “Stop here,” he said.

Kincade stopped their crawler and turned off the engine. Rein looked out, only Usife’s crawler was there. The battle was still raging on the island behind it. He noticed the fort was nowhere to be seen.

“Remember our plan,” said Fabian.

“Walk on foot and sneak inside their vehicle,” Kincade waving his hand “Easy!”

“Ready?” Rein asked, looking at his friends.

But before they could disembarked from their crawler, Rein heard clanking sound on their railing. Then something ricochet and grazed his arm. Kincade pushed Rein to the floor.

“They’re shooting at us!” Garland shouted.

Kincade stood up and grabbed the wheel “Hide behind something!” before igniting the engine and steered their crawler towards Usife’s crawler.

Garland tore a huge sheet of metal from the floor and held it in front of Rein. Through the holes made by the projectile, he could see their crawler getting closer to Usife’s crawler before theirs crashed into it.

 

Dust everywhere.

Rein rubbed his head before looking around “Everyone alright?”

“Yeah,” Garland dropped the metal sheet.

Fabian helped Rein stood up.

“Let’s go!” Kincade waved at them and pointing at the hole made by their crawler.

Rein and his friends entered Usife’s crawler. Battling through the rebels blocking their way to the upper deck. On the way there, he heard someone screaming for help. Rein stopped and went to the other corridor.

“Where are you going!” Kincade shouted, while punching a rebel on the face.

“it’s Leuria!”

His friends followed behind him.

“Boss! Wait!”

Rein yelled as loud as possible, calling for her.

“Rein is that you!?” coming from the door not far from them.

He tried to opened the door but it was locked. “Get back!” he shouted, while kicking the door with all his might.

“Let me,” said Kincade, grabbing the door handle.

“There they are!”

The rebels running towards them. While Rein and the others fought the rebels, there’s a loud crash behind them.

“Duck!” Kincade shouted.

Rein saw the metal door flew towards them.

“What the!” Garland yelled.

They managed to duck in time. The door hit the rebels behind them, knocking out all of them.

“You almost hit us!” Fabian protested.

“Sorry..” Kincade smiled.

“Rein!” Leuria ran and hugged him “You’re alive! I thought-”

“I was lucky, and my friends here saved me..”

“They are your friend?” she looked at Garland, Fabian and Kincade “So you really were sent here by the creator!”

“Hey, who’s this creator?” asked Garland.

“It’s the- never mind that! We need to save Ebistu!” said Rein.

After some brief introduction, they continued running to the upper deck.

“It’s them!” the rebel shouted.

“Fab! Protect her,” Rein said “Let’s go!” waving at Garland and Kincade.

Beating every rebels blocking their path, they finally reached the upper deck. Rein saw Ebistu behind Usife and Ortesso.

“Leuria!” Ebistu shouted “Rein? You’re- Rein! Get her away from here!”

“Who are you-” Ortesso looks shocked “Wait- those- those are the machine from the stairways!” pointing at Garland and Fabian, before looking at Rein and Kincade “Where’s your ears? Who are you!?”

“Release Ebistu! Now!” Rein yelled.

Ortesso grunted, waving at the rebels on the deck “Get them!”

But they just looked at each other. One of them said “But, my lord, the machine-”

“Fool!” Ortesso grabbed the weapon from one the rebels and shoot Rein.

Kincade pushed Rein back and blocked the projectile with his arms. Garland took the chance and charging at Ortesso. The rebels shot at him but he ignored it and punched Ortesso so hard, sending him flying across the deck.

“Nice!” Kincade raised his fist.

“Fab, stay here with her,” said Rein “Let’s got Cade.”

Fabian nodded, grabbing Leuria’s shoulder because she wanted to follow them.

Rein and Kincade quickly beaten the rest of rebels there, causing them to fled in fear and jumped out from the crawler, leaving Usife behind alone.

“Surrender!” Rein ordered.

“I don’t know who you are, but you are ruining my plan,” Usife replied.

“Oh yeah?” Kincade raising his fist “I don’t care about your plan!” and punched Usife, making a loud clank.

“Inferior being,” said Usife, before grabbing Kincade’s hand and slamming him to the floor.

“Cade!” Rein was shocked.

Garland aimed his hand and shot Usife with the mind control drone. But Usife just laughed with his monotone voice.

“Impossible!” Garland growled.

Usife slowly walked towards them.

“Run, Rein!” Ebistu jumped on Usife’s collar “I’ll hold him off! Take Leuria and get-” he pulled Usife’s head cloth, revealing a robot head under. “What- what are you?”

Usife grabbed Ebistu and threw him away. Fortunately Kincade was able to caught him before he hit the floor.

“He- he’s a ma- machine..” Leuria stammered, pointing at him.

“No wonder it’s not working on him,” Garland muttered.

“Doesn’t matter, he’s alone, we could take him!” Kincade raised his fist before telling Ebistu to go to Leuria’s side.

“Count again,” said Usife. He took out a device and pressed it.

They heard rumbling sound. Something erupted beside them, showering them with sand, then several robots landed on the crawler.

Rein shouted at Ebistu and Leuria to get inside the crawler “Fab! Guard the entrance!”

Usife laughed as he ordered the robots to attack them. Some charging at them while the rest turned their arms into a pair of cannon and began shooting at them with beams.

“Get back Rein!” Kincade waving his hand, blocking the beams with the other arm.

Rein evaded a beam blast, and shot them back with his stun gun at max power, it only grazed the robot. He fired once more, this time it directly hit the robot’s body, destroying it into pieces.

“Woah..” Rein awed, it seemed they were not that strong.

“Nice!” Kincade slammed the robot attacking him to the ground.

“We can win this!” Garland punched the robot in front him.

With Rein giving them support fire, they were able to destroy all the robots in quick succession, leaving Usife alone once more.

“This is impossible,” said Usife, he pushed the device again.

“He’s calling another reinforcement!” Garland yelled.

“We have to take that device!” said Rein “Fab! We need your help!”

Fabian took out his stun gun and aimed at Usife, while Rein and the others charged at Usife. The blast hit Usife, but it doesn’t worked on him, although it bought time for Kincade to grabbed Usife’s arms; Rein and Garland tried to took the device from his hand.

“Enough of this,” said Usife. He managed to free one of arm and knocked Rein and Garland back. Usife then grabbed Kincade’s hand and lifted him up closer to his face “Such a weird inferior being.”

Kincade cursed while punching Usife’s face with his other arm. Rein shot Usife with his stun gun; Garland repeatedly punching Usife’s back to no avail.

Usife looked down at Garland “You too will be a nice specimen,” he was about to grabbed Garland when-

“Hey! Look at me!” Kincade roared.

He took out a carving fork from his arm and swiftly stabbed one of Usife’s eye. Usife quickly crushed Kincade’s arm and threw him to floor.

“Ungrateful inferior being, i was about to let you live as my specimen,” Usife raised his leg and about to crushed Kincade under his foot.

Garland ignited his arms and electrocuted Usife. It worked, Usife staggered for a moment before turning to face him.

“Insolence,” he lifted Garland and began crushing him with his hands.

“Gar!” Rein wailed. He and Fabian shooting Usife with the stun gun.

Bloodied, Kincade stood up, readying his fist. Smoke gushing out of his arm before he punched Usife’s back at full force, creating a shock wave. This made Usife jerked backward, loosening his grip. Garland freed his arms and grabbed Usife’s head. His arms glowed brightly as it making really loud crackling sound. Releasing Garland, Usife muttered something inaudible before his head burst into flames, and he fell backward, shaking the whole crawler.

“Did we win?” Kincade wiped blood on his face.

They all stared at Usife’s body. It began twitching, then stopped moving completely.

Garland kicked him and huffed “Yeah, he’s dead.”

“Cade, here,” said Fabian, handing over bandages.

“Right.. thanks,” he nodded and took it.

“We need Sierra to fix that,” Fabian motioning at Kincade’s broken arm.

Kincade sighed “There goes my favorite spatula and ladle inside, also that,” pointing at the charred fork still sticking on Usife’s head.

Rein and Garland chuckled. They saw Leuria peeked outside and asked them if it’s safe for them to come out. Rein waved and nodded at them. They stepped into the deck and looking at Usife’s body.

“Is he-”

“We defeated him,” Rein smiled.

“Rein..” said Ebistu “All of you.. thank you..” looking at Garland and the others.

“Hey! where’s that loud mouth guy?” Garland looked around.

He’s right, Ortesso was nowhere to be seen. They heard cheering from the distance, followed by the rebel’s crawler fled the island.

Kincade shrugged his shoulder “I guess he slipped away, while we fought this robot.”

“Orte..” Ebistu muttered “The king and his private guards also fled..” he shook his head “They might rebuilding their forces somewhere, to resume the war..”

“We have to warn the islander and call the others still wandering..” Leuria suggested.

“You’re right.. i have to convince them to work together and stop the war..” said Ebistu.

“Let’s head to the helm, see if this vehicle still working,” Kincade said.

“Yeah, hey.. wait.. i think we forgot something..” Rein rubbed his chin.

“Huh?” Leuria’s ears twitching.

They heard rumbling sound nearby, before getting showered by the sand once more as several robots landed on the deck.

“Woo! shit!” Garland growled.

“Get back!” Kincade waved at Leuria and Ebistu.

“The device!” Rein wailed.

While Garland and Kincade busy fend off the robots; Fabian gave Ebistu the stun gun. Rein went looking for the device on Usife’s body.

Leuria screamed “More of them incoming!” pointing at the sand.

Rein saw a huge army of robots emerging from the sands

“Boss! hurry!”

He spotted the device beside Usife’s leg “Found it!” he lifted it.

“Push the button!” Kincade pulled out his broken forearm and used it as a bludgeon “Quick!”

There were several button, he didn’t know which the right one.

“Rein!” Fabian shouted. Holding a robot from attacking Leuria.

Rein pressed all the button randomly.

“Boss!”

Loud beeping sounds coming from each robots. They twitched before shutting down. Rein dropped the device and sighed in relief; Garland and Kincade laughed as they fell down to the floor; Fabian quickly went around to checked them all.

“Is it over?” Leuria wondered.

“Hope so..” Rein smiled.

Ebistu said “I’ll go check the helm.”

Kincade stood up “I’ll help you.”

“Please, rest here.. leave it to me,” said Ebistu, and he left.

“Here,” Fabian distributed instant meal bars and water bottles.

“Hoo, I’m starving..” Kincade smirked.

“What is this?” Leuria examining the meal bar.

“Try it, it’s good,” Garland munching the bar.

“Wait!” Leuria eyes widen “i thought you are a machine!”

“Well.. i-” he shook his head “Never mind, it’s too complicated to explain.”

“The place beyond the skies really is full of wonder,” Leuria’s ear wiggling. She took a small bite “The taste.. It’s so Umyma!”

“A what?” asked Garland.

They heard the sound of the engine, and the crawler began moving, they were heading to the island.