Megatron wanted to retort—
But after seeing the state of the battlefield, he found himself unable to speak.
It was always like this.
The Decepticons were clearly stronger.
More numerous.
Yet at the final moment—
They always fell short.
A deep sense of powerlessness surged within him.
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
Barricade and the Constructicon were being steadily forced back under concentrated human firepower.
The remaining Decepticons were already searching for retreat paths.
The aerial formation had suffered heavy losses.
Even he himself—
Facing Optimus Prime—
Had failed to gain any decisive advantage.
"We could have ruled this planet…"
Megatron's voice carried frustration and unwillingness.
"We have the power. The technology. And yet—"
Optimus cut him off, calm and unwavering:
"Power and technology have never been the reason to rule."
"True strength lies in understanding what you fight for."
"Shut up!"
Megatron roared, launching a heavy punch—
But the strike lacked its usual precision.
A flaw.
Optimus seized it instantly.
His energy blade carved a deep gash across Megatron's chest armor.
Megatron staggered back.
For the first time—
He felt real danger.
He raised his head and roared toward the observation platform:
"Uchiha Mo! How long are you going to keep watching?!"
The roar echoed across the canyon.
Even the gunfire seemed to falter—
As all eyes turned upward.
There—
Uchiha Mo stood calmly, looking down.
"I'm waiting for you to face reality, Megatron."
"With anger alone… you will never defeat him."
At the same moment—
The battlefield shifted again.
Shūjin had silently appeared on one flank.
Inabi had broken free from suppressive fire and reemerged on the opposite side.
Megatron clenched his teeth.
"Enough nonsense. Fulfill your promise!"
Mo shook his head slightly.
"A promise?"
"I promised to help you achieve victory."
"Not to win every battle for you."
Then—
His gaze shifted toward Optimus.
A faint trace of mockery surfaced.
"This so-called 'natural leader' is right."
"You never truly understand why you fight."
"You're obsessed with the title of 'leader.'"
His voice echoed across the canyon—
Cold.
Absolute.
"There is no such thing as a natural-born leader."
"A leader is not an identity granted at birth—"
"But a realization forged through blood and fire."
"Anyone worthy of that title…"
"Has carved their path through mountains of corpses and seas of blood."
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Everyone present—
Human and machine alike—
Felt the weight of those words.
Megatron froze.
This… was a perspective he had never considered.
Aren't leaders born that way?
Wasn't that the truth of Cybertron?
And Optimus—
Was the descendant of one such figure.
Even Optimus fell into brief silence.
Though he never relied on his status—
The brutal truth behind those words forced him to reflect.
Then—
Mo moved.
In an instant—
He stood at the center of the battlefield.
At the same time—
Shūjin and Inabi formed hand seals.
Each split into shadow clones.
Four figures—
Occupying the four cardinal directions.
East.
West.
South.
North.
"Four Red Yang Formation!"
Their palms struck the ground simultaneously.
Sealing formulas spread outward like living veins.
Crimson flames erupted from beneath the earth—
Weaving together into a massive cubic barrier.
Completely enclosing the battlefield.
The temperature surged instantly.
The air became suffocating.
NEST soldiers struggled to breathe.
Their weapons burned hot in their hands.
Even the metal bodies of the Transformers began to heat under the pressure.
At the center—
Mo stood calmly.
His Daoist robe fluttered in the rising heatwaves.
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
Then—
He spoke.
"What follows…"
"Is a death battle."
"Only one side…"
"Will leave alive."
Megatron's optics flared.
"This is exactly what I wanted!"
"Today—this ends once and for all!"
Optimus raised his blade.
His voice deep.
Resolute.
"I have always sought peace."
"But if there is no other path…"
"Autobots—"
"We fight to the end!"
Pentagon Command Center
A massive electronic display showed the canyon in real time.
The moment the crimson barrier formed—
A wave of shock spread through the room.
"This… is their power?"
A gray-haired general stared at the screen, unable to hide his disbelief.
"No alien technology. No known energy system…"
"This is entirely human?"
The technical director spoke rapidly:
"Energy readings have exceeded our instruments' upper limits."
"Structural stability is extremely high."
"Barrier coverage—precisely controlled at 1.2 square kilometers."
"Conduct a probing strike," the general ordered.
"Maintain restraint."
Two F-22 fighters responded immediately.
Their strafing runs—
Barely caused ripples across the barrier.
Like stones hitting water.
Air-to-ground missiles followed—
The barrier trembled—
Then stabilized instantly.
"Conventional weapons are ineffective," the pilot reported.
"Only sustained saturation bombardment might breach it."
The technical team continued:
"The barrier is maintained by four individuals."
"East and west—original bodies."
"North and south—energy clones."
"If even one is eliminated…"
"The barrier will collapse."
A strategist stepped forward immediately.
"We can deploy bombers for a precision strike on one position."
"Shall we proceed?"
Silence filled the command room.
All eyes turned to the general.
He stared at Mo's figure on the screen—
For a long time.
Then—
He shook his head.
"No."
"Cancel the attack."
Confusion spread instantly.
He continued:
"All direct conflict so far has been handled by NEST."
"If we intervene now and kill one of them—even a clone—"
"We risk provoking hostility from this organization."
He paused.
His voice lowered.
"If they are willing to share this power…"
"What use is Autobot technology?"
"Especially when Optimus refuses to provide weapons anyway."
"The Pentagon will support this decision."
A young strategist couldn't hold back:
"But sir—Optimus Prime and the Autobots are still inside!"
The general didn't hesitate.
"Then they will be left to fate."
The room fell silent.
No one dared to argue.
The order was absolute.
"All units—maintain surveillance."
"No intervention."
"What we want…"
"Is long-term cooperation."
As the command was issued—
Everyone understood one thing.
In the struggle for humanity's future balance of power—
The Autobots…
Had already become expendable pieces on the board.
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