Alfonse should have expected a counterattack, but not so soon. He hoped that at least Eorzeans would have trouble piloting the Ruby weapon and bringing it here. But they could, and somehow they knew exactly where to send it. Who told them that? What if Rex was right, and all they sought was the annihilation of their enemies? He didn't have answers, but after Milisandia's attack on Ala Mhigo, they might want a payback…

Alfonse was quick to act; he sent Allie to awaken Rex and Ricon, preparing them for the immediate evacuation. The big brother himself rushed to the hangar where the Sapphire weapon was kept, knowing that Valens won't allow them to simply lose another of the weapons. As he prepared, to his own shame, Alfonse contacted the Legatus through his radio set. Varro wasn't asleep, but the news was nothing good for him either.

"So they have sent it back, already…Pathetic barbarians!" - Valens shouted with fury.

"We can't evacuate the whole city in such a short time. They will be here to do whatever they came here for." - Alfonse said, trying to imagine the possible scenarios. He might see this town destroyed, the home to so many of his friends decimated for petty revenge.

"Then stop your complaining and put an end to this." - Valens said negligently. "I know the Sapphire weapon wasn't yet moved from the city; take it and fight." - He commanded.

"But, my lord…Sapphire is the weakest of them. I doubt it will be able to hold out against Ruby for long." - Alfonse tried to appeal to his reason, immediately realizing how wrong he was to even think about this.

"My dear, dear Alfonse…" - Valens spoke with excruciatingly fate softness; this tone was one of the most horrifying from him. "My best pilot! You disappoint me with questions like these…I don't care if the weapon is to your liking. Make use of your own skills and if you lose, use oversoul. At the very least, if you fail at everything, they will not have another active weapon."

"This is suicide, but if there's no other way…"

"Do you remember what I told you? I may have been forgiving with you last time, although my young recruits had to be taught a lesson so as to not repeat Milisandia's mistakes…Cowardice is something all of us have, but it can be burned out. You would not leave their families to die while you escape with yours, would you? If you would, a punishment awaits, and I know that it's not your own pain that makes you more loyal. Am I clear?" - Valens became strict at the last moment, expecting nothing but obedience from Alfonse.

"Yes…"

"Then get on with it and send the others to me."

The signal ended abruptly just before the au ra reached the hangar. He stood alone before the aquatic machine in front of him, colored in azure. It was reminiscent of a sea creature with its spikes in the form of waves that protected the cockpit. Sometimes Alfonse wondered whether they should have done their best to sabotage these weapons themselves, that they were too dangerous to even fall into the wrong hands.

"Alfonse!" - He heard Ricon's voice. Allie brought him and Rex here; the three seemed horrified by the news. Two brothers had trouble even processing it, considering that they had just suffered a rude awakening.

"Have they lost their minds?!" - Rex was furious. "Do we know who pilots it?"

"Of course, we don't. We just spotted it on the radar!" - Allie responded nervously.

"They must have come from the Alliance, though…" - Ricon noted before looking at his big brother. "Do you think they want payback for Ala Mhigo?"

"It's very likely. They might be trying to free the city, but even so, if we don't fight, Valens will make an example of many we swore to protect." - Alfonse said with dread, knowing that all these discussions would come up to one single matter. Alfonse had an answer in his mind, but he did not know whether his siblings would accept it.

"In that case, I'll face them with all the Sapphire might!" - Rex smiled and prepared for a fight.

"No, wait!" - Ricon interrupted him. "You are a much better pilot than me, Rex; you will be needed when it comes to the uprising! Besides…Allie and Alfonse need you."

"And don't need you? Whatever are you talking about, brother?" - Rex couldn't believe what he heard.

"We need both of you just as much, don't sell yourselves short!" - Allie was quick to interject.

They would spur into an endless argument, but there was no time.

"We could argue about our piloting skills forever, but this situation requires the most skilled…And the one who isn't half-asleep." - Alfonse tried to get himself to smile with this attempt at a joke, but it failed miserably.

"No, you can't…" - Allie began. Rex and Ricon looked at him with shock.

"I will pilot the weapon while you leave." - Alfonse said adamantly.

"But why?" - Rex reacted in disbelief. "You are our leader, out of all people…We need you!"

"I know, and I'm sorry…But we promised to protect people oppressed by the VIIth and the weapons at all costs. If the pilot truly wants to destroy Terncliff, then I will have to do my best to bring the Ruby weapon down. This weapon isn't the strongest, but with me at the helm, it might stand a chance."

"And what if you fail?" - Ricon asked with a slightly quivering voice.

"Then at least I would have done everything Valens told me to, and innocents will not have to suffer at his hands." - Alfonse looked at them once again, holding back his tears. "I know I ask for much. I know how hard it is now, especially with the renewed war, but I beg of you…Fight through this. While at least one of us is alive, they carry the memories of others, their hopes, and aspirations which we all wanted to see done. Milisandia's dreams are with us, carrying us forward. And I will not be completely gone as well, not as long as you remember."

Now he knew how Milisandia felt, so many things to say to his family and so little time to say it. After a few moments of silence, Allie wiped her tears after a few fell to the floor. Then she looked at Alfonse with a smile such bright that it caught him off-guard. A mixture of acceptance and hope, even though there were still tears in her eyes.

"Alfonse…I know you'll win, whatever happens. We will do everything to finish what we started…To finish what you and Milisandia started. Thank you for keeping us together; you're our hero and our big brother…Go get them!" - She exclaimed in a tone containing both pain and excitement. And this brought a smile to Alfonse's face too. One day, they will all be free.

"You'll live with us…Always." - Ricon said as he looked down, trying to accept saying goodbyes so soon.

"Rex." - Alfonse looked at his brother as he walked near him.

"No, no more speeches…" - He said, trying to remain calm and accepting while he was fuming inside.

"You're the oldest brother now. Take care of them. Take care of them all." - He gave Rex a hug, after which the latter would give in to his emotions as a few tears fell off his eyes, quenching the agony in his heart. However, Alfonse had something else to ask of him. "Is your magitek radio set with you?"

"Yes… What's the matter?" - Rex was confused.

"Valens didn't allow Milisandia to have one so as to not get distracted, but he is not here. I will try to discern what this pilot wants and send you messages if it's something important…Do not look at them until you are somewhere private. These communications are forbidden otherwise…"

"And what do you want to find?"

"Anything at all, who they are and what they want. At least you'll know whether they are the enemy."

"I…Okay, you can count on me with everything. We'll free Werlyt together…I promise."

Alfonse did not doubt his family even for a moment. Nothing was as strong as his belief in them. But the clock was ticking, and the time running out. It was time to defend Terncliff.

…

Nero couldn't even imagine how much he missed being in total control until he got the taste once again. This weapon was an improvement over the original in every way. Its energetic power allowed its speed to be unmatched, an automatic targeting system would annihilate any enemy wherever they hide, and some functions even allowed for small earthquakes to occur. Gaius and Garlond were fools to underestimate its strength, absolute fools. But soon, they will see the merits of utilizing it to the fullest. And Valens…He was too much of an incompetent weakling to even react in time.

Crossing the desert and sea was even quicker than Nero expected, and so he saw Terncliff in the distance. Nero had some sweet memories of the place, the remote location and relatively small size of the town would make for a home-like atmosphere where all citizens knew each other and formed a closely-tied community. Many of the XIVth soldiers fancied this place for their vacations back in the day, and Nero could certainly see the appeal. No wonder this place was chosen to conduct research in. Any inventor would gain a sense of majestic inspiration from gazing at those towering cliffs and the shimmering sea beneath.

It didn't look as beautiful through the weapon's visor, of course, but Nero saw enough to notice the waves forming underneath him. They raged on, forming a while trace behind the weapon and forcing the water to rise with the moonlight dancing at the top. But there was something else…

A weapon emerged from the darkness beneath the cliffs, a blue machine floating just above the water and pushing through the waves. Its design elements were that of a creature; just like the Ruby weapon was, it seemed like another variation of Ultima. Nero presumed the Sapphire weapon, one of Valen's toys. He stopped just before the clash, hoping for a response from their side.

The Sapphire weapon stood between Nero and Terncliff. All of its war protocols have been activated; they just needed a single command to begin the fight. Nero wondered who was piloting it, one of the Werlyt orphans? If they decide to follow in their sister's footsteps and surrender, this wouldn't have to get bloody. But the weapon remained on the defensive, and Nero couldn't waste any time in case a surprise attack was prepared.

"Let's see how good this toy is." - The engineer smirked and began the attack. He started with some lighter torpedoes mixed in with laser guns, but it didn't go as he expected. The Sapphire weapon submerged immediately, disappearing under the water.

The torpedoes flew beneath, resulting in an explosive wave. Nero felt Ruby shaking slightly, but it still easily maintained the balance. The main issue was the Sapphire. It would swiftly emerge on Ruby's radars before swiftly disappearing from one side to another, unable to be pinned down. Nero felt a powerful blast from beneath as the water spurred up from underneath his weapon. The machine was pushed upwards, but Nero reacted in time by pulling the handle and stabilizing its position.

"Someone wants to be faced with big guns…Alright, I'll gladly oblige." - Nero was prepared to launch more rockets underwater, but he didn't have enough time.

Sapphire weapon emerged from under the water behind Ruby, clenching its wings with claws, preparing to launch a laser beam.

Nero tried to charge forward, but the Sapphire weapon leeched on his back so deeply that there was hardly any choice left for him. Nero increased the output from the wings, and the fires of annihilation burned so strongly that they managed to weaken the Sapphire Weapon's grip. While he had his chance, Nero forced the Ruby weapon to fly back swiftly, pushing the Sapphire back towards the water. His opponent submerged once again, likely trying to find another strategy, but Nero wouldn't allow himself to be tricked this time.

It won't attack from the front or the back, so it was either of the sides…Well, Nero had something in store just for this. He prepared the crimson torpedoes for launch on both sides at the same time. The moment Sapphire would emerge, all of them will fly in its direction. His calculations proved perfect as the weapon emerged from his right side, immediately attacked by the first wave of torpedoes. Before it could attack again, the second wave collided with the weapon, drastically weakening his defenses. Nero could swear he saw faint streams of smoke coming out of the opponent. How pathetic. Why couldn't Valens send a stronger weapon? Nero was hoping to fight Emerald, not this half-finished thing.

However, the Sapphire was far from destroyed. Nero saw it deploying a dozen of small drones, too small for him to even target. They formed a large circle around the Ruby weapon, swiftly changing their form into magitek turrets. The whole array fired at the same time, breaching some of Ruby's defenses where the armor was especially light. Impressive, Nero didn't guess their exact function right until they formed. Yet the engineer felt his heart skipping the moment he prepares his magnum opus in response.

The weapon would send the energetic pulse to the water beneath it. If these functions could force sand to arise, then why not a little tsunami? The earth trembled with the crust cracking beneath him. Nero submerged one of the weapon's hexiclaws beneath the sea, forcing a powered spinning which made the water around them unite in a dazzling vortex. The circular waves would cover the moon, spelling doom for anything not resilient enough beneath them. The Sapphire weapon activated all of its shields to minimize the danger, but the turrets were swept in the ensuing chaos. Once all of them had been eliminated, Nero stopped stirring the waters, releasing one last quake to force the waters unto the Sapphire weapon. Despite the upcoming drenching, the weapon's defenses were too powerful to allow for any damage. Unexpectedly for Nero, one of the waves rose so high when it stroke the cliffs that its level almost reached the city…Perhaps it wasn't as safe as Nero thought.

This battle needed to finish quickly. The garlean had no doubts that the longer they spent fighting, the more important information and people would be evacuated from Terncliff. However, before Nero could continue, an ear-splitting sound would ring around him. This didn't sound like his weapon was damaged. There was something else at play.

After promptly looking at the function panel before him, Nero was shocked to find that this was a signal coming from the Sapphire weapon. Ruby weapon's systems asked for permission to transmit it into the cockpit…Nero was brimming with intrigue, even though the pilot might have been simply trying to distract him.

"Are you hoping to destroy the whole town?!" - An angered and a vaguely familiar voice echoed in the cockpit. "That wave could've swept it had it gone any higher!" - Nero finally remembered.

"Alfonse, isn't it? Didn't expect us to meet again under these circumstances…" - The engineer spoke, still unsure whether his guess was correct, but there was no denial on the pilot's part.

"Wait, you…Who are you?"

…

Alfonse's hands trembled on the Sapphire weapon handle as his worst suspicions seemed to have been confirmed. When the orphan tried to transmit the signal for the first time, he was unceremoniously interrupted by the Ruby weapon and forced into battle, during which Alfonse had to witness the uncontrollable and raging water nearly breach the viewpoint in Terncliff. Ruby weapon's effects were never tested with the water, but it seems now they had their answer. What if Rex was right about their enemies? What if the weapon was here for the sake of pure vengeance and destruction? He would never allow this. Alfonse clutched his radio set, hoping that the message would be able to go through.

When his second transmission was accepted, this was bordering on a miracle, but Alfonse has seen nothing yet. The voice that rang from the Ruby weapon was distantly familiar, echoing with a smug sense of superiority, Alfonse wanted to search his memory, but he couldn't allow himself to get distracted from the battle.

"Wait, you…Who are you?"

"Just a renegade engineer trying to prove a point and visit some cozy places…With you standing in my way." - Now Alfonse recognized this ghost of the past who he forgot about a long time ago. Gaius's right hand while he was still a Legatus and one of the chief engineers in the XIVth.

"Nero tol Scaeva? What are you doing here?" - Alfonse had too many questions to ask all of them.

"Not quite "tol" anymore, but I'm flattered you remember." - Nero responded with satisfaction. "As much as I did not expect to be saying those words…I come on behalf of the Eorzean alliance and the city-state of Ala Mhigo and demand an unconditional surrender." - He proudly stated, causing Alfonse to become buried in his doubts once again.

The evacuation has already begun, and his siblings must have been out of the city…But he could not surrender. Valens would hear of this very quickly, and this will be the last straw. He might either go to extreme measures to make his siblings loyal or discard them altogether, and slow and painful death was a likely outcome in both cases. Alfonse was often the target of his torture, of feeling the burning rod frying his skin as he would desperately hold a scream of agony within. If he continues to fight, Terncliff would be in danger, but if he surrenders…No, this was not an option.

Alfonse unleashed a sapphire ray of energy, which Nero could not completely avoid. The left side of the weapon had a burning mark drawn upon it. Alfonse wasn't even sure whether he wanted to do this, but seeing the flashes of the excruciating pain, his siblings induced an adrenaline rush enough for him to fight back.

"I take it that's your answer…" - Nero's gruff voice flowed through the cockpit. The Ruby weapon dashed forward with another wave of rockets. Alfonse managed to block those, but Sapphire weapon's shields were not impenetrable. Alfonse continued his defense, but his morbid curiosity would not let go of the pilot.

"Is father with the Alliance? Are the rumors true?" - Alfonse asked, unleashing more defensive turrets to his side.

"More or less, and believe me, he is just as surprised to work with Ala Mhigo as I am." - Nero swiftly decimated Alfonse's turrets with crimson torpedoes, preparing to continue his onslaught.

"And how could he allow Milisandia to die?" - Alfonse's voice quivered with grief for his sister. "You should've explained it to the people, showing that she was forced to! I know her; she would never do something like this of her own volition!"

"What?" - Nero responded with notable confusion in his voice, stopping Alfonse's verbal attack for a moment. "Whatever nonsense Valens told you, Milisandia isn't dead. Many people are hungry for her blood, yes, but Gaius has persuaded the general to give her official protection."

"But I saw her horn! Valens shown it to us, we thought…"

"She did lose a horn; from what I've heard, it was due to the unfortunate positioning before a laser canon…How did Valens even get it? Do we have that many of your spies?"

Alfonse didn't respond, but he sensed no trickery in Nero's voice. His heart was beating thrice as fast; the orphan felt his blood flowing and warming his body. His heavy breaths would spread around the cockpit as he felt his hands shaking and barely keeping control of the weapon. She was alive, and he dared to believe Valens when all he wanted was to spur hatred among them and shatter their spirits.

"See, the Alliance is not that scary." - Nero seemed confident that his persuasions had made Alfonse think, but the situation was far more complicated. Rex would hear what they talked about here, but his surrender would spell doom for his siblings and perhaps other children in Werlyt… "Surrender now, and you will be treated fairly. Might even keep both of your horns."

"I can't surrender. Do you know what Valens will do?"

"Valens is an arrogant idiot, and it will not take long to put him back into his place. Not with my brilliant expertise, your knowledge, and both of those weapons at our command. Where are the other two? Are they here?"

"They've taken them away…I do not know where." - Alfonse never visited the headquarters before; Valens would visit them occasionally or communicate distantly. His cruel overseers have done their job to keep them in check, however. "Leave before dawn, and no one has to get hurt!" - He would try to find a way to contact them while making it look like a victory in Valens's eyes…There could still be a way out. Alfonse has been swiftly overtaken with fool's hope.

"And allow your evacuation to continue? Allow them to take all information about the project? Do not take me for a fool and step aside. You will see the benefits soon after. Don't worry, I won't hurt the people; I've had enough of war crimes for one life." - Nero said with smugness.

"I cannot surrender. I won't!"

"Well, I can't leave without a victory. I didn't exactly ask politely when taking this weapon, and if you expect me to waste the opportunity, you have clearly forgotten how I operate!" - Nero continued his attacks, quickly pushing Alfonse into a corner. He would not retreat, not stop before he takes Terncliff. Alfonse heard it in Nero's voice, confidence mixed in with unexpected desperation as if this was his only opportunity. But Alfonse could not give up either.

The strikes came one after another, rockets have breached the Sapphire weapon's shield, but Alfonse barely even reacted. His hands were shaking, and his heart was pounding out of his chest as he realized that Milisandia was alive and given a chance. A chance to reunite with their father and stand by his side again, to step out of Valens's shadow. That for once, the dream they talked so much about became true for one of them, finally, proof that their fight was not for nothing. There was nothing that made Alfonse prouder for their cause and more hopeful for the future.

"One last chance, Alfonse." - Nero said angrily. "Give up and save your damn hide; we'll end this peacefully!"

"Saving "my hide" will mean pain and suffering delivered onto my siblings for my failure…And it's not for myself that I'm fighting."

Sapphire weapon could hardly resist, but Alfonse had one last trick up his sleeve. This was unlikely to stop the Ruby weapon, but it would satisfy Valens just enough…Alfonse sent his message to Rex; he could only hope that the magitek radio caught everything they discussed with Nero. When that was done, Alfonse looked at the panel before him.

"Activate oversoul." - He spoke his last words with tremendous relief. The cockpit around him turned red, beginning the transformation.

"HYDRUS COMBAT SAMPLE READY. INITIATING ORGANIC CORE OVERWRITE"

Alfonse felt the electrical currents charging through his essence as he was pushed to his seat. The physical pain was excruciating, and Alfonse could barely move, but he did not succumb to agony, not after hearing the news. His hands began to morph into another's body, Alfonse felt the ceruleum armor forming around him. With each second, he felt a small part of himself dissipating, sacrificed to the demonic machine and becoming a distant memory re-enacted.

The visions flashed before him…Of something so alien, yet so familiar. He felt like he was looking at a twisted reflection of himself. The chase in Azys Lla, the battle with Edwin, the Warrior of Light, taking up the challenge and resisting the demonic Meracydian primal. But despite all of these inserted memories, the battles he never took part in, in the end, Alfonse saw only one face before him. The smile of his living sister that will fight for their happiness until the bitter end.

…

Nero was fuming; he was forced into absolute disarray by what he heard. When he first contacted Alfonse, he hoped that the eldest of Gaius's orphans would see reason and give the city up, joining them at his sister's side. The image of a glorious moment has already flourished in his head…Gaius, Raubahn, and Garlond arrived in liberated Terncliff with the imperial guards and scientists subjugated while Nero and Alfonse met them at the gates. In that case, there would be no denial from any of them…But Alfonse still chose to fight. Why?

Nero could not understand. Was he worried for his siblings? Well, they were likely to suffer a fate far worse if Valens wasn't about to meet resistance to his tyranny. If Gaius hears that Nero killed one of his orphans…This won't help in bridging the gap between them.

The Sapphire weapon began to glow unnaturally. Some transformation was occurring inside of it. Nero watched it closely from a safe distance, wondering what was to follow. He still hoped that Alfonse would come to his senses and surrender, but it didn't seem like he was going to budge…

Before Nero could react, four phantom projections appeared around him out of the blue. They were of an armored warrior in garlean armor with a bright yellow visor and a greatsword in his hands.

"What in the…" - The armor was familiar; it was in the likeness of Regula van Hydrus, former Legatus of the VIth legion, but why were these ghosts appearing before him? They would strike in a dreadful unison, each of their greatswords unleashing a desolating wave, forcing Nero into shambles. The weapon was shaking, and he could barely keep his hands on the control panel. It was stabilized at the last moment as the ghosts disappeared.

"It seems the savages have found a new toy! I will break them, in the name of the Emperor!" - A robotic, almost recorded line echoed from the weapon. This wasn't Alfonse's voice. This one was much older with considerably more commanding power in…Nero realized. The images of Nael van Darnus, what Milisandia told, Gaius's fears.

"You damn fool, why!?" - The engineer shouted into the void, simply unable to understand this pointless sacrifice. The oversoul of this weapon was Regula, and Alfonse utilized it. The machine before him no longer had a pilot; it was a crazed creature fueled only by combat data and Hydrus's distant memories. The orphan was as good as dead.

The Sapphire weapon charged at Nero while he was vulnerable, striking with the sapphire ray. Nero's first reaction was to activate a similar function in Ruby, the crimson laser of desolation emerging from its heart. The two waves clashed only to form a powerful explosion that forced Nero back. After he could finally gaze at the battlefield, the Sapphire weapon was already out of sight. The radars have gone too chaotic, unable to pin down the enemy.

Nero was about to launch more torpedoes, but the Sapphire emerged right in front of him. Its swiftness and reaction were unparalleled, showing the difference between man and the most developed machine. Omega would have approved…But this battle wasn't over yet. Before Nero could respond, the weapon summoned another iteration of Hydrus's greatsword, striking at Ruby's limbs. The electrical currents were spiraling out of control, and Nero had to do something.

The engineer gave the command to empower the Ruby weapon's wings, charging forward and forcing the weaker Sapphire weapon to back away. Seconds after that, Nero unleashed another wave of torpedoes which the weapon quickly avoided under the water. They followed it; one after another would explode beneath; some reached Sapphire, and others were met with the rock bottom. Either way, Nero felt the wildest of waves pushing the weapon. The explosions from beneath, coupled with the increasing power of Ruby's wings, caused the speediest waves to flow away from their battle. Many of them rose exponentially in seconds, even above the weapons…

Alfonse's fears were soon proven to be correct. The horrific tsunami rose as high as Terncliff, colliding with the outer walls in powerful wreckage. The city remained intact, but even from here, Nero could see breaches, especially on viewpoints. The bricks would fall beneath the depths. Nero hoped none of it was lethal…Otherwise, people in Terncliff will have much more trouble accepting their "liberation."

The Sapphire weapon struck a few times again before appearing before Nero. The bright blue glowing resumed. Sapphire weapon was releasing more flashes of pure energy, reminiscent of empowered ceruleum.

They would create a myriad of creatures around Nero, using up much of the weapon's energy. They took up the form of tigers, but their skin was glowing with a similar color of azure. Those beasts circled the Ruby weapon. Some of them would perish as they unleashed their power into the weapon. This could lead to a drastic overheating…Nero activated all remaining defensive protocols, but many of them were not recharged yet. Ceruleum servants were a common technique implored by van Hydrus…Such fantastic integration into the machine's core, Nero could barely imagine what the stronger weapons would be able to do.

The Sapphire weapon followed by unleashing a circular wave of aether and electricity, trying to entrap Nero in a single spot, all while newly released magitek turrets and servants were swiftly bringing down Nero's defenses. The alarm went off, signifying damage being done, but Nero kept his eyes on the Sapphire weapon. The intellect of a machine that wished only to destroy its opponents unlimited by nothing was a powerful creation, but even it had its limitations. The weapon knew no end, saw no point in receding its attacks, and moving to a defensive stance. Even now, Nero could see the Sapphire weapon drained of its power, losing its speed and forcing itself onto its own doom…A perfect opportunity.

Nero gave a command for all of the remaining energy to be released in a swift decimating ray. The Sapphire weapon was preparing another blast, stuck in one place for a few perilous seconds.

"And down you go!" - Nero shouted as the ray flew from the heart, piercing the Sapphire weapon. The machine did not have time to evade or even bring its shields up. A fiery explosion was followed by the weapon being separated into halves. The cerulean servants swiftly fainted away while the magitek turrets lost control and sank beneath the water.

The weapon's cockpit was decimated, with the weapon's spikes falling one after the other beneath the waves, losing bay kind of form. It was followed by its left hand sinking as it dragged about a third of the weapon with it. The insides were revealed to Nero, hundreds of cut and sparking wires, and exploded ceruleum tanks, leaving the traces of blue flame atop the water. Soon the rest of the weapon exhausted what little energy it had left before disappearing beneath the darkened waters. If there was any hope of saving Alfonse before, now his demise was certain. Nero felt his heart sinking. Even though this was a victory, it will take some time to process what he has done. Some time and feasible explanations…

Still, there was the matter of Terncliff for which Nero came here in the first place. He flew the weapon upwards, ascending above the city. Nero saw dozens of people, the vast majority of them civilians rushing around the place. It was hard to see from this distance, but they must have been worried after the ensuing battle and the waves. Many of them still tried to escape. All of this changed when they finally witnessed the Ruby weapon flying above their city. All of them stopped and turned their gaze and the machine.

The gaze of dread for the impending doom.