The sky had just begun to lighten!
The morning light was faint, yet it could not dispel the gloom hanging over the land. Androids 17 and 18 had set out again, advancing toward the surrounding cities as if no one could stop them. Everywhere they went, they left a scene of apocalypse behind.
At the edge of the city, the fortifications were utterly useless against them. Massive blasts of energy shot from their palms, instantly reducing sturdy bunkers to rubble. Shattered stone flew in every direction amid the screams of the people. On the streets, cars were overturned with ease, tumbling through the air like toys before crashing hard to the ground and bursting into flames.
The panicked crowds fled in every direction, only to find there was nowhere to escape. Every attack by the Androids struck precisely where the crowds were thickest. Explosions and cries of anguish mingled, composing a mournful requiem for the dead.
The military regrouped, sending in tanks and planes, but the shells merely sparked against the Androids before they casually brushed them aside. Fighter jets roared past, but before their missiles could reach their targets, 17 swatted them out of the sky, where they burst into clusters of deadly fireworks.
18 darted between the towering buildings. Glass curtain walls shattered wherever she went, and the buildings, as if stripped of their supporting bones, came crashing down.
Reinforced concrete smashed into the ground, mercilessly burying those who hadn't managed to escape. Meanwhile, 17 strode forward across the earth, every step making the ground tremble. He trampled the soldiers who tried to fight back, wantonly crushing humanity's last will to resist.
As time passed, the city was gradually leveled. Thick smoke billowed over the ruins, and blood stained the earth a dark red. But the Androids showed no sign of stopping. They continued toward their next target, as if intent on dragging the entire world into this endless abyss and wiping out human civilization beneath their feet. The despairing people could only watch helplessly as the nightmare spread.
Mou Mou City
Mou Mou Capital
Deep underground, the atmosphere in a hidden palace was as heavy as lead. Bright lights wavered over a massive conference table, illuminating the weary, anxious faces of the assembled leaders.
The old man at the head of the table pounded it hard, breaking the brief silence. "Everyone, the situation has become critical. The power these two wretched Androids have shown far exceeds our estimates. Their destruction is spreading rapidly, and the surrounding cities have been reduced to ruins. The people are suffering terribly. We must come up with an effective response immediately!"
A general in uniform clenched his fists, grief and anger filling his eyes. "Our military has done everything it can, but conventional weapons are completely useless against them. Every attack is like throwing an egg at a rock. We haven't stopped them, and we've suffered heavy losses instead." With that, he tossed one battle-loss report after another onto the table. The papers scattered with a sound that seemed especially heavy in the silent conference room.
A bespectacled scientist pushed up his glasses and said, his voice trembling, "According to the information we've gathered so far, these two Androids have an almost limitless energy supply, and their bodies are extraordinarily durable. They seem to be beings beyond the limits of our current scientific understanding. We need more time to study their weaknesses, but I'm afraid the situation won't give us that long."
The group fell silent again, every heart weighed down. Just then, an intelligence officer hurried into the conference room and handed over a report. "The latest intelligence: the Androids have changed course and are heading rapidly toward our capital."
At their speed, they're expected to arrive in no more than a day.
The conference room erupted. Panic and unease spread quickly, but amid the clamor, the old man soon rose again and looked firmly around at everyone. "We can't just sit here and wait to die! Even if there's only the slightest hope, we have to fight for our people and our home."
"We must put aside all our differences and pool every resource we have to find a way through this crisis."
In this desperate situation, the leaders rallied and began racing against time to discuss every possible response: evacuating civilians, organizing a final line of resistance, seeking international support, and accelerating research into the Androids' weaknesses... They knew that this war, a struggle for humanity's survival, had reached its most critical and difficult stage. They were humanity's last line of defense.
After several hours of heated discussion, an initial response plan began to take shape.
On one front, the military began mobilizing in an emergency and set up a final line of defense around the capital. Although they knew conventional weapons would be unlikely to inflict fatal damage on the Androids, they had to do everything they could, even if it only bought them a little time. The soldiers stood ready, their eyes resolute. They were afraid, but their duty to defend their home made them grip their weapons tightly.
On another front, the research teams raced to analyze the information they had collected on the Androids in greater depth. They tried to find any crucial details that might have been overlooked in the vast amount of data, hoping to uncover the Androids' fatal weakness.
In the laboratory, instruments ran at full speed. The scientists stared at their screens, missing no subtle change in the data, while their fingers flew across their keyboards as they tensely performed simulations and worked through their theoretical calculations.
Meanwhile, the evacuation was proceeding in an orderly, if tense, manner.
Volunteers made their way through every street and alley, guiding the people toward shelters that had been prepared in advance. Children clung tightly to their parents' hands, their eyes filled with terror. The elderly struggled forward with the help of others, murmuring constantly about their longing for the peaceful days of the past.
The entire city was thick with an oppressive, tragic atmosphere. Everyone was making one last struggle to survive.
Yet as time went by, the approaching Androids felt ever closer.
The ground began to tremble faintly, and clouds of dust obscured the distant sky—a grim omen that the Androids were about to arrive. At this moment of life and death, every corner of the capital was filled with tension and resolve.
Chunting City
Changyuan Street
Alarm sirens wailed without pause throughout Changyuan Street, while glaring red lights flashed and overlapped. Military vehicles sped past, and an urgent, authoritative voice blared from their loudspeakers: "All citizens, listen up! Proceed to the underground shelters immediately! This is not a drill! I repeat, proceed to the underground shelters immediately!" Soldiers stood tall along the streets, tense yet resolute as they directed the people toward safety. Their eyes showed both concern for the citizens and a steadfast commitment to their duty.