247 DEVOUR
[In the secret mech facility]
"This isn't good," Kail said, bringing up dozens of holo-screens at once. Battle footage from across Liberty City flickered through the air.
Black Halo was bombarding a massive warship, plasma beams tearing into its hull.
Then the skies erupted.
Thousands of soldiers, heroes, machines, and drones spilled out, spreading across the city like a metallic tide.
"What do we do now, sis?" Kail asked.
Liorea closed her eyes for a moment, thinking.
"The battle for Liberty City is over," she said quietly. "We can't defend it anymore. We have to leave—immediately."
Kail turned to her sharply."Leave? How? The enemy has surrounded the city."
Before she could answer, Lieutenant Kalmer rushed in.
"The warship attacking our facility is retreating," he reported.
Kail switched the feed. The massive vessel was pulling away.
"They're returning to reinforce their command ship," Liorea said. "And that's our opening."
Kalmer frowned. "An opening for what?"
"For evacuation," Liorea replied. "Black Halo has their attention. While they're distracted, we pull out."
"But where do we go?" Kail asked.
Liorea didn't hesitate."The wilderness facility. The underground refuge."
After Fortress Myrone fell, many soldiers had refused to join Sienna's revolutionary army. Some had been relocated to Silver City—but there were too many of them to hide forever.
So Liorea had prepared a contingency.
A secret underground facility far from civilization was built outside in the wilderness between Liberty and Silver city. The new fortress was not finished yet but…
….It was safe.
"That's where we're heading," she said.
Kalmer nodded—then hesitated."What about Project Hermes? Are we taking it with us?"
Liorea shook her head."No. Hermes will draw too much attention. And it can't protect everyone during a retreat."
Kalmer stiffened."You're saying we abandon Project Hermes? We've spent so much time refitting it."
Before Liorea could respond, Kail's eyes lit up.
"No," he said. "You don't abandon it."
They turned to him.
"Sis—you take the soldiers of Myrone and evacuate to our hidden fortress," Kail continued. "I'll take Project Hermes… and help Big Brother."
Kalmer stared."Are you insane? You can't operate a machine like that alone!"
Kail smiled calmly."Relax. I've got it under control."
Liorea's expression hardened."No. You're not going to Damen. It's too dangerous."
Kail met her gaze, unflinching.
"Once I'm out there," he said, "more than half the battlefield will respond to my command. Have you forgotten what I can do?"
"But—"
"There is no but," Kail said gently."Each of us has a role. That's how everyone survives."
Liorea's vision blurred.
She had just found her brother again—only to send him into a battlefield that could swallow gods.
But Kail wasn't the child she remembered.
He had grown strong enough to choose his own burden.
And with Black Halo out there… and Kail's Quantum Mind…
This war might finally tip.
"…Alright," she whispered."Be careful."
The evacuation began immediately.
Convoys slipped out of the facility, vanishing into the ruins and toward the wilderness—toward their hidden refuge.
High above them—
Project Hermes ignited.
The colossal machine rose into the sky, its engines finally roaring.
Kail looked toward the distant battlefield, his eyes burning with resolve.
"Big Brother," he said softly."Here I come."
-----
Damen scoured the city, his gaze locking onto every Meat Heap he could find—that were wounded, collapsing, or barely holding together.
But soon, there were none left.
Every weakened Meat Heap had already been claimed.
The ones still standing were intact. Healthy and Powerful.
"Damn it," Damen muttered. "I can't drain the remaining ones."
Then, before he could make a complaint…. A new notification flashed before his eyes.
[Drain function has been deactivated.]
[Congratulations. New function unlocked: Devour.]
"…Devour?" Damen frowned."What the hell does that mean?"
He didn't wait for an explanation.
Damen locked onto a nearby Meat Heap. The familiar Drain icon was gone—replaced by a new, pulsing command.
"Devour."
He pressed it.
Instantly, the Meat Heap screamed as its essence was ripped away—not siphoned, not filtered—but consumed entirely. Its massive form collapsed inward, flesh and energy dissolving into nothing as everything it was poured straight into Damen.
There was no resistance.
No struggle.
Just complete erasure.
"…Wow," Damen breathed."This is way better than Drain."
Then he paused.
"For something this good…" he murmured, "…there has to be a price."
His eyes flicked to his system panel.
DemCoins.
His Dem Coins was dropping—fast.
"…So that's it," he said grimly. "Devour consumes coins."
He ran a quick calculation.
"About a million coins per use," Damen muttered.
"Damn… that's insanely expensive."
But his gaze lifted to the battlefield.
It's worth it.
With Devour, he no longer needed weakened targets.
He could consume anyone.
Even those at full strength.
A slow, dangerous smile formed beneath Black Halo's mask.
------
[At the command ship of Silver City]
The repair bay hummed, the air thick with energy.
At its center sat a man bound to an intricate web of machines—metal arms, glowing conduits, and regenerative rigs fused into his body.
It was Supersoldier, Sorrow.
The Super Soldier remained motionless as the system repaired torn muscle and shattered armor.
Suddenly, the doors burst open.
General Ryjer stormed in.
"What the hell?" Sorrow snapped. "Why are you interrupting my healing?"
"You," Ryjer barked, "get out of that chair and face Black Halo."
Sorrow laughed softly."And what if I refuse?"
He wasn't afraid.
Sorrow wasn't Ryjer's soldier. He was a contractor from the League of Heroes—commissioned, not commanded.
He had already faced Black Halo once. He could defeat him.
But the psychic…That paralysis had stripped him of all control.He wasn't returning to the battlefield just to die for Silver City.
Ryjer stalked toward the machines and scanned the report.
"Damn it," he growled. "Your vitals are back to ninety percent. You're practically healed."
"Ninety isn't a hundred," Sorrow replied coldly.
"And until I reach full efficiency, I'm not risking my life for your pathetic city."
Healing from ninety to a hundred percent required much longer than usual. Most of the time, the machines stop healing at around ninety plus percent.
Sorrow insisted on being healed to 100% is merely a ruse not to fight for Silver city.
"I'll report this to the League of Heroes," Ryjer warned.
Sorrow shrugged."Go ahead. You think the League cares about your opinion? They take your aurs and move on."
Ryjer froze.He knew it was true.The League of Heroes was a world-level authority. Silver City was nothing more than a small client to them.
Ryjer exhaled slowly—then changed tactics.
"Fine," he said. "Let's talk compensation."
Sorrow's eyes flickered.
"I'll add to your reward," Ryjer continued. "Five million aurs if you kill Black Halo."
Sorrow scoffed.
"Ten million.""Twenty million.""Fifty million."
Nothing moved him.
"Alright," Ryjer snapped. "One hundred million aurs. A full bounty on Black Halo. That's everything I can offer."
Sorrow went quiet.
One hundred million.
It was enough money to disappear. Enough to retire. Enough to live quietly, far from wars and cities.
"…It's not about money," Sorrow finally said.