Chapter 27 The Tore Skies
“We have to run!” Flame shouted.
He grabbed Red by the waist and tried to pull her away, but the girl wouldn’t move. She just stood there, staring blankly at the scorched ground.
Call was gone. There was no sign of him anywhere. No matter how many times Red tried to scan, she couldn’t detect any trace of his vitality.
Red shook her head in disbelief. She should’ve warned him sooner. But by the time her eyes scanned the cables and detected the explosive reaction, it had already been too late.
Call had fired at point-blank range.
“Snap out of it! Jeez!” Flame yelled in frustration.
Flame struggled to drag Red’s motionless body away before the Jurassic monster could attack them.
But the creature was already alert.
It slowly turned its massive body toward Red, glaring at her furiously. Its crystal-white robotic eyes glowed brightly. The roar that escaped its jaws was terrifying as it charged straight toward them, mouth wide open, ready to tear them apart.
“Red! Move!” Flame nearly lost his grip on her because he was shaking in fear himself.
But Red didn’t react. She was done fighting. She was tired.
The monster’s iron jaws were seconds away from devouring both of them. Flame gasped.
Then suddenly, a strange sound echoed behind them, and Phi’s portal opened in an instant. Phi grabbed both Flame and Red and yanked them into the portal just before the creature’s teeth snapped shut.
Its prey disappeared. The Tyrannosaurus jerked its head left and right in confusion before letting out another furious roar.
Phi teleported the three of them to a safe distance. The moment they landed, Flame wrapped his arms around Phi and kissed the top of her head repeatedly.
“Perfect timing!” Phi said proudly.
“Thank you, my irrational little girl,” Flame whispered near her ear.
“My powers are back. I think yours are too, Flame,” Phi said excitedly. “I’m gonna go find my favorite Support Weapon. Give me a second.”
Without waiting for an answer, Phi opened another portal and disappeared into it.
“Call…” Red whispered weakly.
“I know. He’s your brother,” Flame said carefully. “But maybe he did it to protect you.”
“There’s nothing good about sacrificing your life!” Red snapped.
She had promised Lein she would protect Call and look after him. Yet Call died before they had even spent a full week aboard Ohm’s ship.
And Red hated herself for it. Rage slowly filled her heart.
She wanted to rip that monster apart. She wanted to destroy every cruel AI behind this twisted game.
Every single one of them. Especially Viz.
Red grabbed her numb, fractured arm and forced herself to step toward the robotic Tyrannosaurus, which was sniffing around for new prey. The glow in her left eye burned brighter.
“Red, stop! Where are you going?” Flame pleaded as he grabbed her shoulders.
“To kill that thing.”
“Don’t be reckless!”
“Call is dead,” Red hissed.
“I know, but it’s not your fault.”
“It is,” Red insisted. Then she closed her eyes and whispered, “Ghníomhact.”
Flame didn’t stop her.
At that moment, Phi returned through another portal with Kit beside her. The second Kit saw Red walking away, she collapsed onto the ground and burst into tears. Phi simply stared at Red’s back.
“Is she trying to die like Call did?” Phi muttered.
“I don’t know. That girl’s stubborn as hell.” Flame shook his head. “I’m going to find Yasmin. Maybe she can help us deal with that monster.”
“I don’t wanna waste my energy fighting some giant dinosaur,” Phi complained.
Flame didn’t answer. He looked conflicted.
Phi crouched beside Kit and awkwardly wrapped an arm around the crying woman’s shoulders.
“Don’t cry. Call made an amazing sacrifice. You should be proud, right?”
Kit only cried harder.
Phi was trying to comfort her, but her overly cheerful tone almost sounded like she was mocking Call’s death. And now Red was about to throw her own life away, too. Kit felt helpless.
Flame was about to leave and search for Yasmin when he suddenly looked back at Red. Cursing under his breath, he rushed after her.
“We’ll fight it another time, Red!” Flame shouted as he caught up beside her. “We need to find its weakness first!”
“I’m killing it for Call. Stay out of my way!” Red glared at him.
The robotic Tyrannosaurus spotted them immediately. It let out another deafening roar, making Flame flinch and cover his ears. Then the beast charged toward them at terrifying speed, jaws stretched wide.
Flame thrust both arms forward. His robotic arms buzzed loudly, and blue flames exploded from the devices above his wrists.
But the moment the flames struck the monster, an invisible barrier appeared.
Flame’s blaze crashed against the shield and scattered uselessly.
“Red, get back!” Flame shouted desperately. “That thing has a shield!”
Red immediately scanned the monster, searching for the source of the barrier. Within seconds, she spotted it.
“There!” Red pointed. “Behind its left ear!”
“I can’t hold it much longer!” Flame yelled. “I’m running out of energy!”
The monster kept pushing forward, overpowering Flame’s attacks.
Suddenly, chunks of dirt and grass exploded from the ground and slammed into the Tyrannosaurus from the side. The creature turned its attention toward the new attack.
Yasmin had arrived. Phi stood beside her.
“Are you idiots trying to play heroes?!” Yasmin shouted furiously.
Red winced.
“Damn it!” Yasmin cursed as she controlled the earth with furious swings of her hand.
But her powers weren’t enough either. The shield protecting the monster absorbed every attack. Still, Yasmin kept attacking repeatedly, trying to distract the robotic beast.
“Get out of here!” Yasmin yelled. “We can’t break through that thing!”
“Red, come on!” Phi shouted.
Red shook her head stubbornly. “No. Just leave.”
Yasmin looked furious. “Forget her! Don’t waste your lives on that idiot!”
Then suddenly—
BOOM.
A massive pounding sound echoed from the sky.
The Tyrannosaurus immediately stopped and looked upward. Flame and Yasmin were both shoved backward by Phi while Red remained frozen in place, staring at the monster.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
“What the hell is that?” Phi gripped Flame’s hand tightly.
Flame slowly shook his head, looking genuinely disturbed.
The Tyrannosaurus’s crystal-white eyes glowed brighter as it sniffed the air and stared upward. A sharp mechanical whirring sound echoed across the bright blue sky.
Yasmin, Phi, and Flame screamed and covered their ears.
Then the sky split open. Panels tore apart overhead and came crashing down toward the earth.
“Phi, get us out of here!” Yasmin screamed. “Now!”
Phi immediately opened a portal and dragged Yasmin and Flame away from the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the prehistoric monster roared louder than ever, lifting its head toward the enormous black void that had opened in the sky.
The figure Red had been waiting for had finally arrived.
Ursula.
“Ionsaí.”
Ursula’s voice echoed powerfully as she dove toward the monster and unleashed a barrage of plasma fire.
Ursula descended from the sky and landed heavily beside Red.
“It’s about time,” Red muttered.
Without hesitation, Red scanned Ursula’s body. Red immediately reconnected the modified link Kit had rebuilt for her.
“Now, Ursula…” Red hissed angrily. “Let’s make that thing pay.”