"Everyone, retreat!"
Althea's voice was calm, yet urgent enough that everyone nearby reacted almost instinctively. The Sentinels positioned outside immediately disengaged, while Atom abandoned its pursuit and leaped backward with astonishing speed. Even the soldiers stationed on the walls stepped away from the edge as they hurried to follow the order.
Wallace frowned.
"What is it?"
"The formation."
Althea's eyes never left the battlefield.
"They're surrounding Atom."
Only then did Wallace notice it as well.
The Diggers were no longer attacking randomly. Each machine had stopped at a specific distance from Atom, forming a rough circle around the S-Grade Sentinel. There was no hesitation in their movements, nor any attempt to break through the barrier again. It was as though every one of them had received the exact same command at the exact same moment.
That wasn't normal.
