Just as Sara was recovering from the fright and pondering the true identity of the boy before her, red lights suddenly began flashing inside the ventilation duct.
The puppet wreckage Sasuke had physically exorcised with a red brick let out a rapid beeping from the energy core in its chest. The countdown to overload self-destruction had begun.
Sara had yet to recover from the brick-based rescue and was about to question the boy's identity.
"This metal lump's gonna blow up!"
Naruto let out a strange cry, giving Sara no chance to speak. He slung her over his shoulder and viciously kicked the maintenance panel beside them.
The rusted bolts flew off, and the panel shrieked as it tore free.
Naruto covered his head and charged straight down the slanted slag chute into the darkness below. Sara's screams echoed back and forth through the pipe.
The two crashed heavily onto a pile of discarded padding, kicking up clouds of dust.
This was a heavy stamping workshop. High-temperature steam filled the air, and dozens of gigantic presses stood in orderly rows. Every strike made the ground shake violently.
Before they could steady themselves, the heavy steam gates at every escape passage slammed down one after another, completely sealing off their retreat.
More than a dozen pairs of scarlet electronic eyes lit up in the darkness.
These were industrial puppets responsible for transporting heavy molds. They stood over three meters tall, their arms modified into enormous hydraulic pincers.
Although this purely industrial equipment carried no conventional weapons, its shearing force was enough to rip through tank armor.
"Intruders confirmed. Elimination mode activated." The mechanical voice echoed through the workshop.
More than a dozen heavy puppets advanced with ponderous steps, fanning out to surround them. Their hydraulic pincers opened and closed continuously, the shriek