High above the battlefield, a squadron of spectral bombers materialized through the dark cavern air.
FDR turned toward the scorched terrain. "Truman, get to me immediately."
"Whoa, what is going on?" Truman asked, sprinting back toward the hovering platform.
"Union Magic. Now," FDR commanded.
"Yes, sir," Truman confirmed, recognizing the severity in FDR's voice. "You got it."
Truman vaulted onto the platform and linked his hands directly with FDR.
"Union Magic: Operation Figurehead," they said together.
A blinding yellow nuclear glow flooded into the spectral purple bombers circling above them, and the aircraft locked into a tight formation as their irradiated shadows stretched across miles of the dungeon floor.
As the bomber squadron climbed higher into the cavern sky, FDR pointed toward the scorched terrain Truman had carved through the sector. "Everyone, get to the dry area he created."
The crew abandoned the hovering platform and rushed toward the massive crater left behind by Truman's earlier barrage, spreading across ground stripped clean of standing water. Eisenhower sprinted back into the perimeter a few seconds later with Warrex secured over one shoulder, blood dripping down the Presidroid's back plating.
At the edge of the crater, JFK raised both hands and projected an incredibly dense, layered magical barrier. The reinforced dome sealed over the group, cutting them off from the wet battlefield beyond its transparent walls.
Outside the barrier, Jade materialized out of a thin streak of water and pointed at them, laughing at the desperate little fortress they had built around themselves.
"Stay inside," Truman said.
Through a narrow opening in JFK's barrier, Truman tossed a localized Fat Lady past Jade's head and detonated it against a large puddle near her flank. Steam and dirt erupted behind her, and Truman charged through the opening before the smoke had time to spread.
Close-quarters combat stripped the fight down to displacement instead of damage. Truman dodged one rapid swipe and drove a heavy fist into Jade's stomach, shoving her backward several yards even though the blow left her body unharmed. Her heel skidded across dry dirt, away from the only remaining escape puddle.
Before she could reach it, Truman destroyed the water with a secondary blast and launched himself backward through the opening in JFK's barrier. The dome sealed behind him, leaving Jade alone in the ruined dry zone.
Realizing she had been corralled, Jade finally looked up.
Hundreds of glowing, nuclear-infused payloads descended from the spectral bomber squadron, falling in precise formation across the entire sector. The first wave struck the dirt in a rhythmic, apocalyptic sequence, and the detonations rolled outward in overlapping shockwaves that ripped the moisture from the air and shattered the bedrock beneath Jade's feet.
When the blinding yellow light faded, Jade Brittlebone remained propped against the outer edge of the Presidroid barrier. Her lower torso had been obliterated by the overlapping blasts, and the hostile, mocking light had vanished from her eyes. She slumped forward and faded into a fine mist, leaving behind two intricate bracelets and a heavy metal collar resting in the ash.
Despite the blood soaking through his shoulder, Lutrian swept the bracelets and collar into the massive loot bag before anyone else could step toward the ash.
FDR moved straight to Roy and dropped onto one knee while Andri worked a basic healing spell over the shallow puncture wounds in his back. Shame weighed through every line of the Presidroid's posture, but his voice remained controlled. "Execution is the only acceptable punishment for this indescribable failure. Please."
With one light kick against FDR's leg, Roy shut that down before it could become a whole thing. "Shut the hell up. I will execute you when I am dead. Let us get back to work."
Over the comms, Tranquility's voice sharpened into outright scolding. "FDR, you gluttonous moron! You have dragged Roy's mana reserves down to barely a quarter. The Nightshatter is beginning to lose buoyancy in the harbor, and you all need to hold your positions while he regenerates."
Angrier than Tranquility, Serenity cut across the channel right behind her. "You let Roy get hurt. You failed to protect him. Then, instead of stabilizing the situation, you put him in even greater danger by burning through his remaining mana for a stupid showcase."
At that, FDR finally lifted his head. "You loved that I retaliated this strongly for Roy."
Almost in unison, the three AIs answered in the plainest voices they had. "We did."
Roy tapped his earpiece, looking out over the smoldering, dry wasteland leading toward the dark capital. "Eryndra, come back. We have a plan."