In New York, in the plaza before the United Nations building, Zhou Zhezhi watched through the shelter's monitor, his icy gaze locked on the slowly approaching Mass Production Model.
"Heh heh... grrr..." Its low growls mingled with chilling, indistinct laughter, like rusty gears grinding together. Every sound gnawed at their hearts.
"Can we evacuate somewhere else? That monster could topple the whole building without breaking a sweat!"
"I have a place in a government shelter! I can't die here!"
"Director Hao, should we..."
Hao Xiaoxi slowly shook her head, a trace of heavy despair in her voice. "At a time like this, nowhere is safe." She knew all too well that once the black fog invaded, nothing could save them.
The Mass Production Model raised its Replica Lance of Longinus. Without any sign of charging an attack, it intended to flatten the United Nations building through brute force alone. Humanity had been driven into a corner by a creation of its own making. That eerie laughter sounded like the ultimate mockery of all humanity's arrogant delusions, shrill and grating.
Inside the shelter, Zhou Zhezhi still stood straight, watching the glaring scarlet lance on the screen. Though his eyes held a reluctance to leave this world, there was more of the serenity that came when everything was finally settled.
"It seems it's time to let the children see what flowers look like in bloom..."
Whoosh!
The sharp whistle of something cutting through the air suddenly tore across the sky, piercing enough to make their hearts tremble. The Mass Production Model's expression changed dramatically. It instantly deployed an orange AT Field while scrambling backward. A horizontal, crescent-shaped energy blade hurtled down from high above, striking the shield dead center.
Bang! The orange membrane shattered. Had the Mass Production Model not dodged in