Althea's gaze swept across the shelter's main gate, where the five modified Sentinels, X‑02 through X‑06, stood like towering guardians. Their eyes glowed faintly, scanning the horizon without any miss…
Each of them carried plasma rifles slung across their armored frames, ready to unleash devastating firepower should the enemy approach.
From the walls, Augustine's voice rang out as he was already commanding the defenders... "Adjust the artillery! Aim higher… toward the sky!"
Defenders scrambled, rotating the heavy cannons upward.
The angle looked absurd, as if their shells could reach the massive structures floating far above. Yet Augustine's tone left no room for doubt.
"Better to be prepared!" he shouted. "If those things descend, we'll meet them head‑on!"
Althea clenched her fist, as she also looked at the crimson sky. The sight of the huge flying machine filled her with dread, but she forced herself to remain steady. The shelter needed her calm more than her fear.
