Nobody moved.
For several seconds, Adrian and Kaguya remained facing one another in the middle of the abandoned road while Samuel's warning hung over the open radio channel.
Someone else was listening.
The words changed the entire battlefield.
Marcus reacted first.
"All units, tighten communications. Switch to emergency channel Bravo. No unnecessary transmissions."
Acknowledgments came one after another.
Short.
Controlled.
Professional.
Around the ruined village, Atlas operators adjusted positions without breaking containment. Marksmen remained on rooftops. Ground teams covered the roads. Drones continued circling above the fields, but several immediately changed altitude and flight patterns to avoid becoming predictable.
Adrian kept his eyes on Kaguya.
Her expression had barely changed.
Barely.
That was enough.
"You didn't expect that," he said.
Kaguya looked toward the mobile command vehicle behind him.
"Neither did you."
"No."
The answer came without hesitation.
