That speculation made Shūjin's heart tremble.
Thinking back—
Mo's familiarity with the space… his foresight regarding mission worlds…
So far, every person drawn into the space had been from the Uchiha clan—
Yet not a single veteran had ever appeared before Mo.
A fractured space, as if it had only just awakened.
A companion who seemed like a veteran—
Yet carried an unmistakable sense of anomaly in everything he did.
Uchiha Mo… just who are you?
The first to ever come into contact with the Main God Space?
Or…
Its chosen agent?
Someone who doesn't need to follow the so-called authority restrictions at all?
"Shūjin?"
Inabi's voice came again, carrying a trace of inquiry.
Shūjin took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the storm of thoughts in his mind.
Now wasn't the time to dig into this.
Inabi continued,
"Did you get anything out of that guy—Sam Witwicky?"
Sam Witwicky.
Shūjin shook his head.
"No. He doesn't even know about the fragments of the Cube."
He paused slightly.
"But just in case… I left a mark on him."
Inabi nodded faintly.
A tracking mark—
Simple, but effective.
At that moment—
Both of their phones vibrated simultaneously.
A message from Uchiha Mo.
Short.
Concise.
A set of coordinates.
And two words:
"See you tomorrow."
Shūjin and Inabi exchanged a glance.
Coordinates…
Neither of them was familiar with such a system.
They had no choice but to rely on Lide.
After a quick search—
The result appeared.
"Arizona… Grand Canyon National Park," Lide reported.
"About 550 kilometers from Los Angeles."
"Find the fastest route," Shūjin said.
Lide typed rapidly, then replied:
"You can take a long-distance bus—about eight hours."
"Or rent a car. Similar time, but more flexible."
"Car," Inabi decided without hesitation.
An hour later—
The three of them were already on the highway, driving toward Arizona in a black SUV.
Lide sat in the back seat, laptop on his knees, continuously monitoring global developments.
As for the driver—
Naturally, it was Inabi.
An automatic vehicle required almost no learning curve.
As for a license—
With the Sharingan, roadblocks meant nothing.
Time passed.
The scenery gradually shifted—
From dense cityscapes to barren desert.
The sky dimmed.
Red rock formations began to dominate the horizon.
Eight hours later—
They arrived near the Grand Canyon National Park.
"Up ahead is the park entrance," Lide pointed at the navigation screen.
"The coordinates are near a viewing platform along the South Rim."
After confirming the location—
The three stepped out of the vehicle and headed toward the designated point.
The setting sun cast a magnificent crimson glow across the canyon.
The Colorado River wound through the valley like a silver ribbon.
And there—
Near the viewing platform—
A figure was already waiting.
A black Daoist robe swayed gently in the evening breeze.
Uchiha Mo.
"Perfect timing," he said with a slight nod.
...
At the same time—
A convoy was speeding toward the Grand Canyon.
At the front—
Five black Chevrolet Suburban SUVs carried members of NEST.
Among them—
Three distinct vehicles stood out:
A red-and-blue heavy truck—
Optimus Prime.
A pink-and-white Buell Firebolt motorcycle—
Arcee.
And a green Chevrolet Volt—
Skids.
Inside the lead vehicle—
William Lennox was checking his weapon, his gaze fixed on the approaching canyon entrance.
He confirmed once more:
"All units, stay sharp."
"Once Decepticon activity inside the canyon is confirmed, execute the plan as discussed."
"Fighter jets and helicopters are on standby for support."
"Alpha Team, acknowledged."
"Bravo Team, received."
A steady voice followed—
"Autobots are ready."
Optimus Prime.
Arcee and Skids responded shortly after.
Yet—
Listening to the confirmations through the comm—
Lennox's brow only tightened further.
An unease crept into his chest.
They had come here because of abnormal Decepticon activity.
But what about that mysterious organization?
Had they arrived?
Were they already here?
Or…
Was this entire situation—
A trap?
Lennox took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
The enemy was hidden.
They were exposed.
Whether this was a trap or not—
They had no choice but to proceed.
"Sir," the driver spoke, "twenty minutes to the designated location."
Lennox pressed the comm button again.
"All units—maximum alert."
"Remember, we're not just facing Decepticons."
"There may be unknown enemies in play."
"Understood!"
The convoy continued forward.
The canyon entrance loomed ahead—
Like a gaping mouth, waiting to swallow them whole.
...
Viewing platform.
"Long time no see… I've missed you."
Uchiha Mo smiled as he greeted Shūjin and Inabi, who had just arrived.
His gaze briefly swept over Lide as well.
Though he had no idea who this fat shut-in was—
It didn't matter.
Anyone who could follow Inabi all the way here—
Was at least trustworthy enough.
Shūjin went straight to the point.
"You called us here so urgently. Why?"
"No rush," Mo said lightly.
"First… let me introduce our new allies."
He raised his hand slightly.
The next moment—
A deafening roar of engines tore through the sky.
Two fighter jets dove down at terrifying speed—
Then transformed mid-air—
Landing heavily near the platform.
Megatron.
Starscream.
Lide collapsed to the ground instantly, his face pale with terror.
"Uchiha Mo."
Megatron's voice was low, heavy with overwhelming pressure.
"These… are the allies you mentioned?"
"Correct."
Mo's tone remained calm.
"With their assistance…"
"Optimus Prime dies today."
"Hahaha!"
Starscream's sharp laughter echoed.
"These tiny humans? You expect them to be useful?"
Mo's gaze turned cold in an instant.
"Starscream… watch your words."
"I am human."
"And I can dismantle you just as easily."
The air froze.
Starscream's laughter stopped abruptly.
His mechanical body instinctively took half a step back.
He had seen this man's strength firsthand.
Taking him apart…
Wouldn't be difficult.
"Enough."
Megatron cut in, breaking the tension.
"Uchiha Mo's strength has already been proven."
"Now—discuss the battle plan."
Starscream fell silent, retreating slightly—
Yet his optics remained fixed on Mo, filled with wariness.
This human—
Gave him pressure equal to Megatron himself.
"So what's the plan?" Inabi asked directly, as if nothing had happened.
Megatron pointed toward the canyon below.
"The Decepticon main force is already in position."
"Once the Autobots enter the encirclement…"
"We strike from three directions simultaneously."
"And annihilate them all."