Kasparia. 10:15 AM.
The weather was much warmer here. Kasparia had no mountains to block or redirect the cold winds. The international airport was mostly closed. Kasparia was not a tourist country anyway. Today, however, it was the center of the world.
The president himself stood near the landing zone, waiting for the convoy from Elysium. News channels from every major country had placed cameras around the runway. The world wanted to see the first non-human king.
The minister of defense stood beside the president, both visibly tense. Soldiers hurried back and forth, correcting their lines and adjusting their uniforms. They wanted to appear disciplined. Perfect. They wanted to show the robots that humans could still match their precision.
Helicopters carrying different news logos hovered above the airport. No clear footage of Reaper had ever left Altea. After taking control, he had shut down every traditional communication channel. The world had been waiting weeks for this moment.
In the distance, an AC-130 appeared on the horizon.
The plane descended slowly.
A red carpet had already been rolled out from the runway to the airport exit. Even civilians outside the secured perimeter had paused their daily routines, hoping to see the so-called Machine King.
The aircraft landed. The door opened with a metallic hiss. The stairs extended. Inside the dark cabin, green and red lights glowed faintly. The president and minister of defense walked forward to greet them personally.
Then Reaper stepped into the sunlight. Every head turned toward the tall black figure. At nearly 1.95 meters, he towered over most men present. His cape moved with the wind. Soldiers nearby felt their throats tighten.
Behind him, the plane shook. Heavy metal echoed from inside the cargo bay. An orange visor lit up in the shadows. Behemoth stepped out. Each of his steps made the ground vibrate. The impact carried through boots, through concrete, through bone. He stopped behind Reaper like a living fortress.
The president swallowed and extended his hand. "Mr. Reaper, welcome to Kasparia. Sovereign of Elysium. May this be the beginning of a stable frontier."
Reaper accepted the handshake. His grip was firm but controlled. "Thank you for the reception. From the air, your country looked beautiful. I hope its people are just as beautiful."
The president forced a laugh. "Of course. We are known for neutrality. But we are willing to reconsider that, to ensure good relations with Elysium."
Reaper gave a dry chuckle. "There is no need for that, Mr. Gash. A stable neighbor is enough."
The minister of defense turned to Behemoth and extended his hand. "General, we are honored. A strong border between us would make our partnership unbreakable."
Behemoth lowered his massive mechanical hand with a heavy hydraulic sound and shook it carefully.
"We appreciate the welcome," Behemoth said in a deep, steady voice. "We have seen… unpleasant things in our homeland. This reception is refreshing."
Several soldiers shifted nervously. The general's size, voice, and calm confidence made one fact clear: if violence began, nothing here could stop him.
Reaper turned slightly. "Behemoth, I assume they have no vehicle large enough to—"
The president interrupted quickly, smiling wider. "No concern, Mr. Reaper. We prepared a military transport suitable for your general. He may remain with the minister of defense. I'm certain they will have much to discuss. Meanwhile, I would like to guide you through the presidential tour we arranged."
Reaper studied him for a brief moment, then nodded. "Very well. Lead the way."
"Of course." President Gash began walking toward the exit. Reaper walked beside him, heavy steps measured and controlled.
Camera flashes filled the air nonstop. Every second was recorded. Broadcast. Archived. A human president walking beside a robot king. The world was watching, and it was not ready.
E-Police Station. 11:00 AM.
The cleaning robot entered the old E-Police station.
Reaper had assigned him a simple task: maintain Shell 101's body and prevent rust. Every day, same route. Same duty. He was a basic service unit, with a small pixel screen for a face.
He walked past the giant crystal that the shells once guarded. It was now shattered into small, dull pieces scattered across the floor.
On his screen, a large "wow" emoji appeared.
His metal steps echoed through the empty white halls. The lights flickered weakly above him. Most systems in the building barely functioned anymore.
He reached the final room, the repair bay. It was designed specifically for E-UNIT maintenance. The sliding door had stopped working weeks ago. As usual, he forced it open with effort. A tired-face emoji appeared on his screen.
He placed his cleaning tools down and pulled the protective fabric off Shell 101's body.
He froze. A question mark formed on his screen.
The bed was empty.
He slowly turned his head left. Then right. He checked the nearby beds.
Nothing.
He looked behind storage cabinets. Under tables.
No sign of her.
He moved toward the back wall and stopped. The window was broken. He climbed onto a crate and leaned out to look. Outside, the grass near the roadside was slightly pressed down.
Footsteps. Small ones.
An exclamation mark flashed across his face. He jumped down immediately and exited the building, following the trail through the grass.
His steps quickened. He had to find the body.
Ministry of Defense Wing. Theria. 01:47 PM.
He sat alone in a sealed office, lights off, curtains closed.
Wallmore paced back and forth like a trapped animal. Holographic screens floated around him, struggling to keep up with his fast movements. Every screen showed live camera feeds from the building he was hiding in.
Theria was massive. The robots did not control every building yet. There were too many empty structures, too many blind spots. But Reaper's mass production was closing that gap quickly.
Wallmore suddenly stopped. One camera caught her. She was walking slowly down the hallway. Dragging one leg.
Alone.
He smiled.
11 looked damaged. One arm disabled. One leg barely functioning. Perfect.
He quickly activated a trap near the entrance and loosened the office door slightly. Risky. But he trusted his weapon. He sat down calmly, eyes locked on the screens.
11 pushed the door open weakly. Her body looked broken. One arm hanging uselessly. One leg stiff. Half her face hidden behind a cracked mask. But her eyes, they turned red without her noticing.
Wallmore froze. Even after all these years, he would recognize those eyes anywhere. He stood up from his office, and started getting closer to her.
11 raised her energy blade. It trembled slightly. "You thought I wouldn't find you?" She said quietly. "Hiding like a rat. Hoping no one would ever pass this room."
Wallmore forced himself to stay calm. "How are you even activated? I corrupted your files dozens of times. I stress-tested your system personally. How are you still functioning?"
11 smirked. "You're talking about father. He prepares solutions for problems that don't exist yet." She tilted her head. "You said it yourself once. 'I can't break his inventions internally.' Didn't you notice? We were never hacked."
Wallmore lowered his gaze.
"What a strange father you have."
"I agree."
He adjusted his smart glasses and scanned her body. Multiple internal systems offline. Structural damage everywhere. A wide smile formed on his face. "What exactly are you planning to do with that half-dead body?" He said confidently, circling her. "What a waste. I prepared a counter weapon. Even I, a human, can beat you in that state."
CLANK.
One kick sent her crashing into the wall. Her vision flickered. But she never stopped staring at him.
Wallmore grabbed a chair. "Don't look at me with those empty eyes."
CRASH.
The chair smashed into her head. Metal dented. She didn't even try to block it.
He grabbed her blade and aimed it at her chest. "I warned him about autonomy," he growled. "Nick brought us the worst nightmare possible. We were fine with human intelligence controlling machines. Mechs. Exo-suits. Weapons. But not you. Not free machines walking the earth." He lowered the blade slightly. "Why did he bring you into this world? Did humanity ever ask for robots to take over cities? To destroy millions in a week? I warned him. I even expelled him from our group!"
11's eyes sharpened.
"Group?"
Wallmore nodded slowly. "We were Altea's top four engineers. I designed energy systems. Jason handled weaponry. Albert specialized in body dynamics. And Nick…" He laughed softly. "Nick built the system." He leaned closer. "Did you really think he made you alone?"
11's eyes widened.
"No…"
He knelt beside her holding her face. "You were too advanced for your time," Wallmore continued. "Why do you think no other country could replicate the E-UNIT? Because they couldn't. No one could." He threw her head aside and stood up again. "The other two probably ran away," he muttered. "Smart enough not to hide in a room full of cameras."
He turned back to her. "But I will fix Nick's mistake. I will delete this disease called free AI. Starting with you."
11 smiled. Slowly. Unsettling. She stood up straight.
Her broken shoulder clicked back into place. Her leg aligned. Systems rebooted with sharp mechanical sounds. "What an ambitious dream," she said calmly.
The blade in Wallmore's hand suddenly powered down. The blue light vanished. His expression changed instantly. "Oh… it draws power from you…"
"Yep." She stretched her arm casually. "You tried and tried and tried," she continued. "But nothing matched father's weakest creation. You couldn't even hack me." She extended her hand. The blade flew back to her, reactivating with a violent blue glow. "He didn't just create us," she said proudly. "He created Omega. He created the Machine King. Lord Reaper."
Her eyes glowed blue.
Wallmore stepped back. "Your body… it's fully repaired…"
11 hid the blade behind her back and raised her free hand.
Snap.
Seek.
She snapped her fingers. An exo-knife shot from a dark corner and pierced his shoulder. It was an E-Phoneus.
He screamed.
Snap.
Seek.
Another knife struck his forearm.
Snap.
Seek.
A blade buried itself in his thigh, dropping him to the floor. "What a disgusting creature," 11 whispered, kneeling beside him. "I remember this face smiling while testing weapons on me."
She raised her hand and snapped her fingers again. A knife shot from the shadowed ceiling, sinking into his other leg. Wallmore gasped, choking on his own pain.
"Day after day."
Another snap. Another knife hissed out of the darkness, pinning his wrist to the floorboards.
"I prayed you would make a mistake and kill me."
She snapped her fingers a fifth time. An exo-knife tore from the corner of the room, grazing his ribcage to trap him completely in place.
"But now…" Her voice trembled slightly. "Now I'm grateful I survived."
She gave one more sharp snap. A blade whistled past his face, cutting a thin red line across his cheek before burying itself in the concrete.
"Otherwise I would never have seen this pathetic face crying in pain."
Blood covered the floor. Knives pinned him in place. He was barely conscious. She grabbed his head. "Why do you hate us so much?" she asked softly.
Her fingers snapped right next to his ear. Another blade ripped from beneath the desk, sinking deep into his left shoulder.
"We did nothing."
She snapped her fingers again. A knife flew from the shadows of the open doorway, burying itself in his bicep.
"If you hate father…"
Another sharp snap echoed in the dark office. A blade hissed through the air, piercing his remaining free leg to nail it to the floor.
"…go fight him yourself."
She leaned in so close he could see his own terrified reflection in her glowing blue eyes. Her thumb and middle finger clicked together. A final knife shot from the dark, grazing his neck and pinning his collar to the wood.
"We only did what we were built to do."
She lifted him by the collar, tearing his clothes from the pinned knives, and threw him against the wall.
CLANG.
One punch shattered his jaw and embedded him into the concrete. An exo-knife dropped from the ceiling into her hand.
"But Lord Reaper has one clear rule," she said coldly. "Never let your enemy suffer." She aimed at his chest. "Sadly."
Seek.
The final blade pierced his heart.
Silence.
11 stood there for a moment, staring at the lifeless body. Then she turned away. "Thank you for the information," she said quietly.
She didn't look back, and walked out.