The ground shook as the horde closed in—no more time left.
Max's glove twitched.
Metal shifted. Thin streams of nanobots rippled across his skin, crawling like liquid silver. The sound was faint—mechanical clicks and low pulses—as the swarm of machines formed plates over his body. One by one, they locked into place.
A suit was born.
His grin widened.
"Finally... whole again."
The last of the bots covered his head. A black visor sealed shut, reflecting the flood of creatures charging toward him.
Then came the change.
Four mechanical limbs unfolded behind his back. Sharp, clawed, flexible—like predator arms forged from steel. Blue light gathered in both palms. The beams spun, spiraling into twin orbs.
Then—
He fired.
The blast tore through the field like a scythe through grain. A searing line of blue wiped out everything in its path. No blood. No screams. Just silence where bodies used to be.
Kael watched from above. A short laugh slipped from his lips.
