Within a more distant area of the Base 42 Complex, stood one of the last Umbrìo stronghold over it, the flickering light of Laura's tablet casted dancing shadows on her face as she scrolled through old clips aboard a dropship. In one recording, a cacophony of cheers filled the air. She spotted Qasim, his face flushed with excitement, hoisting a mug high.

"To the valiant capture of Warehouse 14! Base 42 will be ours one day!" Qasim boomed in joy.

The squad, a motley crew in mismatched TLL fatigues, clinked their mugs together, their laughter echoing in the cramped camp. A pang of nostalgia hit Laura.

The next clip took her back further. Grainy green night vision showed a young, nervous Laura huddled beside a grizzled Qasim. Gunfire rattled off in the distance, illuminating figures darting through the dusty Argentinian streets.

"Stay frosty, buddy. We'll clear this town one building at a time." Qasim planned, looking back to face her, as he was crouching low amidst the urban warfare.

Laura, her voice barely a whisper, replied, "Right behind you."

With a final click, the screen displayed a phone recording. A group of teenagers, including Laura, Qasim, Daniel, Kyle Calvin, and other members of the infiltration squad crowded around a makeshift table littered with textbooks and wires.

"Ugh, this science project is going to fry my brain!" Kyle muttered in frustration.

"Relax. Laura's got this under control, right Laur?" Daniel responded, hoping to calm Kyle down.

Laura, a determined glint in her eyes, looked up from a circuit board.

"Almost there. Just a few more tweaks and this volcano model will erupt like a champ!" Laura grinned.

Suddenly, a loud, frustrated groan echoed from the corner of the room. There, hunched over a mountain of textbooks, sat Frederick, their resident history buff.

"Guys, I can't find anything about the eruption patterns of Mount Vesuvius in this mess!" Frederick complained, his tone laced with frustration and panic.

Qasim and Ron, two peas in a pod known for their playful jabs, exchanged a mischievous glance.

"Maybe all that linguistics addled your brain, dork." Qasim jabbed with a smirk on his face.

Ron, barely stifling a laugh, chimed in. "Yeah, maybe you should've stuck to memorizing cases instead of trying to understand science."

Frederick, cheeks flushed, swatted playfully at Ron's arm. "Oh, come on, you guys! Just help me find this information before Laura finishes the whole project herself!"

The room erupted in good-natured laughter. Despite the playful teasing, Laura noticed Qasim and Ron immediately diving into the textbooks, their competitive spirit burning bright even when it came to helping their friend.

The screen faded to black, a bittersweet smile lingering on Laura's lips. The flashbacks, punctuated by snippets of their shared past, underscored the deep bond she had with her squad, a bond forged in triumph, hardship, and even a little bit of teenage science project mayhem.

A lump formed in Laura's throat. "Hope you're in a better place, guys," she whispered, her voice barely a murmur over the roar of the dropship engines. With a final glance at the darkened screen, she tucked her tablet away.

The metal floor of the dropship vibrated with anticipation. Laura rose, her movements echoing a practiced efficiency. She joined the other soldiers, their grim faces a stark contrast to the playful banter of the past. Outside, the harsh reality of war awaited.

A red glow bled across the horizon, painting the churning smoke plumes an angry crimson. Below, the battlefield stretched out like a ravaged tapestry, dotted with the flickering flames of burning buildings and the frantic movements of soldiers locked in combat. Laura took a deep breath, the frigid air stinging her lungs. With a resolute nod to her squad leader, she stepped off the ledge. The wind howled in her ears as she plummeted towards the earth, her parachute billowing open overhead. As she scanned the battlefield, her gaze fell upon two sleek, silver Umbrìo drones streaking towards a group of TLL operatives on the ground, their energy cannons crackling with malevolent intent.

Without hesitation, Laura swung her arm bolt rifles into action. The memory of her laughter-filled past fueled her resolve as she squeezed the trigger, a hail of bullets tearing through the air towards the unsuspecting drones. As she landed with a thud, the harsh reality of the battlefield slapped her. She spotted an injured medic, his face contorted in pain, clutching his left shoulder. Laura rushed to his side.

"Hey," she said gently, her voice barely a whisper above the din of battle. "Can I help?"

The medic, his eyes filled with a thousand yard stare, mumbled a reply. "Yeah... I think so. Just... a stinger."

Laura's stomach clenched at the stoic reply that masked the severity of the injury. "Stinger or no stinger, let's get you out of here."

She helped the medic to his feet, his weight a stark reminder of the human cost of this war. The memory of her friends, their laughter echoing in her mind, spurred her on. They were fighting for something bigger than themselves, for a future filled with that kind of laughter again.

But before they could take another step, a rocket roared past them, slamming into the ground a few hundred meters away. The ground trembled with the impact, a wave of dust and debris engulfing them. Laura coughed and sputtered, shielding the medic with her body. As the dust settled, a horrifying sight unfolded.

A new wave of Umbrìo soldiers emerged from the smoke. They were clad in tactical gear, their imposing figures amplified by exosuits. Drones buzzed around them, adding another layer of threat. Panic clawed at Laura's throat, but years of training kicked in. With a silent command, her neural interface activated the sniper extension on the back of her skull. The targeting system flickered to life behind her eyes, outlining the enemy positions.

Laura scanned the scene, her mind racing. The exosuits offered formidable protection, but a flicker in the visor lenses caught her eye. A vulnerability. Taking a deep breath, Laura focused on a single target, visualizing the shot through the neural link. Her finger twitched, sending a silent command that echoed through the barrel of her rifle. A low whir filled the air as the sniper extension whirred to life.

The shot, precise and deadly, found its mark. The soldier crumpled to the ground, the visor shattering into a spiderweb of cracks. A ripple of shock ran through the Umbrìo ranks. Laura wasted no time. With a series of rapid-fire commands, she unleashed a calculated volley of shots. Each one found its target, taking down another soldier before they could react. The scene became a deadly dance as Laura, fueled by grief and resolve, neutralized the enemy threat with chilling efficiency.

In the distance, the sounds of sizzling fire and crackling ice, accompanied with the roaring engines of vehicles was hear, announcing the arrival of a mechanized locust swarm - the fleeing remains of the Umbrìo cartel, escorted by Douglas who kept a watchful eye.

"I'll take care of him," Rebecca said, piloting a capture Umbrìo mech that belonged to Octotron.

Without any second thoughts, Rebecca opened fire at one of the cartel dropships, destabilizing it a bit, prompting Douglas to stand in between them and manifest his holographic shield, although a look of shock was visible on his face as he recognized the mech.

Douglas could only stand in shock, a torrent of memories flooding his mind - Octotron's loyalty, their shared victories. The past, a festering wound, ripped open by the sight of the captured mech. But the shock was fleeting, replaced by a cold fury. With a roar, he slammed into the captured mech with his holographic shield, the impact sending tremors through the battlefield. Then came the fire – a torrent of superheated plasma and razor-sharp ice shards erupting from his cannons, tearing into the metal with a sickening screech. Sparks flew, alarms blared inside the mech.

Laura watched in horror. The captured mech, once a symbol of Octotron's ruthless efficiency, was now a marionette dancing to Douglas' destructive tune. Smoke billowed from ruptured panels, and the once-proud stance had devolved into a desperate struggle to maintain balance.

"Rebecca...?" Laura's voice choked on a sob as she reached out a hand, a futile gesture across the vast battlefield.

Fury bubbled within Laura. She wouldn't stand by and watch an innocent die. With a burst of flames from her jetpack, she launched herself towards a nearby building, her sniper rifle already trained on the destabilized Umbrìo dropship. A single, precise shot found its mark, the fuel tanks exploding in a fiery inferno.

The explosion shattered the tense rhythm of the battlefield. Douglas's head snapped toward the sound, his eyes narrowing as frustration overtook him. Roaring in fury, he abandoned his assault and charged toward Laura, his exosuit crackling with power like a storm barely contained.

But before he could close the distance, the air split with a sharp, electrified hum. A torrent of blue electricity arced through the battlefield, slamming into the dropship with a deafening crack. The wreckage groaned and tumbled to the ground, sparks and smoke billowing as metal twisted and crumpled under the force.

From the haze, a lone figure emerged. Thomas stepped forward, his face set in grim determination. Blue energy crackled and danced around his arms, casting sharp, flickering shadows across his expression. His voice was steady and sharp. "You're not touching her."

A second explosion ripped through the chaos, sending debris raining down like a deadly meteor shower. Ryan landed moments later, a trail of smoke marking his descent. His shoulder cannons thrummed ominously as they powered up, the glow of their energy cores painting him in shades of amber and gold.

Douglas halted in his tracks, his gaze darting between them. For a brief moment, his face betrayed a strange mix of disgust and... something else. Regret? Guilt?

Then, the haze parted again. Anthony stepped forward, his silhouette shrouded in shadows that seemed alive, swirling and shifting around him. Streaks of green lightning arced across his frame, crackling with restrained ferocity. His voice carried a weight that silenced the chaos around them, low and deliberate:

"Nowhere to run, Doug..."

Douglas's response was immediate, a guttural rasp that carried equal parts malice and unease. "Fools... you have no idea what's coming! The Tritanides will tear everything you hold dear in front of your eyes!"

As he spoke, his eyes flicked upward to a distant point in the sky. A faint, eerie glimmer twinkled there, growing steadily brighter—a silent harbinger of the horrors yet to come.

Anthony's reply came like a hammer striking iron. "Whatever they do... YOU WON'T LIVE TO SEE IT!"

In one fluid motion, Anthony drew his blade. The emerald core at his chest spun wildly, throwing off arcs of light that danced across the battlefield. Ryan and Thomas mirrored his stance, their weapons raised and trained on Douglas, forming an unspoken pact of defiance.

Douglas's sneer faltered, just for an instant. Then, with a guttural roar, he surged forward, his exosuit glowing with violent reds and oranges. Fiery veins pulsed across his frame as he summoned his weapon—a fiery blade that blazed with intensity.

Anthony met his charge head-on. Their blades collided with an explosive clash, but Douglas was no match for the sheer force behind Anthony's strikes. Each swing of Anthony's blade sent shockwaves rippling through the air, forcing Douglas to stagger back.

Douglas barely avoided the next strike, leaping backward as Anthony's blade carved a jagged trench into the ground. Desperation flared in his eyes as he retaliated, firing a volley of fire and ice beams toward Anthony's core.

The attack hit its mark—or so it seemed. The energy converged with a blinding flash, only to vanish as Anthony's core absorbed it effortlessly. The emerald glow intensified, casting long, jagged shadows as Anthony straightened, unscathed.

"I'M THE LAST THING YOU'LL EVER SEE!" Anthony roared. His monitors rearranged themselves, the glow shifting from green to an aggressive, pulsating red. The battlefield was bathed in the crimson light, hypnotic and consuming.

Douglas froze as the glow invaded his vision. He shut his eyes, clawing at his temples to block it out, but it was futile. The light seemed to penetrate deeper, carrying with it flashes of fractured, incomprehensible images. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his confidence crumbling into raw panic.

Anthony stepped closer, his voice low and razor-sharp. "Feel that? That's everything you've done, staring back at you. Every life you destroyed, every scream you ignored... They're all here, Douglas."

But Douglas was not so easily undone. His exosuit surged with a sudden spike of energy, an orb of crackling light escaping from his core. It shot forward like a bullet, striking Anthony's chest dead center. The impact forced Anthony back a step, his red glow sputtering and flickering as his monitors distorted.

Douglas straightened, his sneer returning as the orb's energy crackled across Anthony's core. "You think you're unstoppable?" he spat, his voice regaining its venomous edge. "Let's see how long you last when you're broken from within."

Douglas shifted his attention back to Ryan and Thomas, recalibrating his strategy. Thomas was already in the air, his movements swift and calculated, electricity crackling around him like a storm ready to break. Bolts of blue energy rained down in relentless arcs, each strike aimed at overwhelming Douglas.

With a snarl, Douglas unleashed another energy orb, this one streaking through the air with deadly precision. It struck Thomas mid-flight, sending him spiraling to the ground in a crash of dust and debris.

Before Douglas could press his advantage, Ryan surged forward. His Tritanide arm gleamed with a menacing light as he tore through the chaos, gripping one of Douglas's blasters and ripping it free with a metallic screech. Sparks erupted from Douglas's exosuit as he stumbled back, barely avoiding Ryan's follow-up strike.

Douglas's face twisted with fury as he retaliated. A new orb formed in his hand, pulsating with the same violet energy Diego had once wielded. It crackled ominously, its power palpable, as Douglas hurled it at Ryan.

But Ryan was quicker. With a deft movement, he caught the orb mid-air, its energy writhing in his grip. He twirled it once before smirking, raising a finger in playful mockery. "Nuh uh!" he taunted, his tone brimming with irreverence.

Douglas's sneer returned, his frustration boiling over into action. Pivoting swiftly, he unleashed a torrent of fire and ice toward Ryan. The elements roared forward in a destructive cascade, consuming everything in their path.

Ryan braced himself, his body absorbing the onslaught effortlessly. The flames and frost swirled into his core, leaving him unscathed as the energy dissipated into nothingness.

Douglas froze for a moment, then began to laugh—a cold, sharp sound that echoed across the battlefield. His lips curled into a confident grin, his eyes gleaming with malevolent amusement. "You think that makes you strong?" he jeered, his tone dripping with derision.

The battlefield seemed to shift with his words, the tension rising as Douglas prepared his next move, his exosuit sparking dangerously. All the while, Ryan's gaze remained locked on him, unflinching, as though daring him to try again.

Before their confrontation could escalate further, an emerald beam seared through the air, slamming into Douglas's side. Sparks erupted as chunks of armor plating were torn away, leaving exposed circuits flickering in protest. Anthony stood at a distance, the glow of his energy core burning brighter as he leveled his blade.

"Come here!" Anthony bellowed, his voice carrying an unyielding authority. Without waiting for a response, his thrusters roared to life, propelling him directly toward Douglas like a living missile.

Douglas's instincts screamed danger. Knowing he couldn't overpower Anthony head-on, he twisted his body at the last moment, narrowly evading the full force of the charge. But Anthony's blade still caught its mark, carving through another of Douglas's blasters with a screech of tearing metal.

Reacting with desperation, Douglas gripped Anthony by the shoulder and hurled him aside. Anthony tumbled across the battlefield, his momentum kicking up a cloud of dust, but his emerald glow never dimmed, his resolve unshaken.

The reprieve was fleeting. In the blink of an eye, Ryan unleashed a colossal surge of captured energy, channeling the fire and ice he had absorbed moments before. The raw power streaked toward Douglas like a meteor, its intensity lighting up the battlefield.

Douglas barely managed to react in time. With a snarl, he conjured a shimmering holographic shield, the energy crackling as it absorbed the impact. The force of the blast sent him skidding back, his boots carving grooves into the ground.

Not wasting a second, Douglas resumed his assault, his remaining blasters igniting in a storm of projectiles. The battlefield became a blur of explosions and energy beams, each strike a desperate attempt to regain control. The manic laughter of Douglas echoed through the air, accompanied with the sizzling of his beams.

Anthony quickly rose to his feet, his emerald core flaring ominously. With a flick of his wrist, another energy beam surged toward Douglas's face. Yet, once again, Douglas narrowly evaded the strike, his movements almost unnatural, as if an unseen force guided his every motion.

Meanwhile, Thomas, having shaken off the effects of Douglas's earlier attack, crept behind his adversary with practiced precision. With a sharp leap, he mounted Douglas's back, his fingers deftly tearing into the thruster mechanisms. Sparks flew as the critical components buckled under Thomas's sabotage, sending both fighters hurtling to the ground amidst an eruption of fire and dust.

Douglas hit the ground hard, his snarl cutting through the chaos as he scrambled to his feet. His once-dominant posture was now marred by cracks in his armor and a growing desperation in his movements. Thomas stood his ground, unyielding, as Douglas lunged at him, ripping one of his arm blasters free in a violent motion. Before Thomas could recover, Douglas retaliated, unleashing a relentless barrage of electric strikes, the air between them alight with crackling energy.

The final blow came without hesitation—a devastating ice-fueled strike that sent Thomas careening through the battlefield. He landed meters away, the ground shuddering beneath the impact. Despite the pain etched across his face, Thomas's eyes burned with resolve, unwilling to yield even as the battle pressed on.

Thomas staggered to his feet, his face bloodied and streaked with dust, his exosuit flickering erratically. "I'll get you for this!" he shouted, defiance ringing in his voice despite his battered state.

But before he could act, a shadowy lump of black flesh sprang from the wreckage, latching onto his back. It slithered with malicious intent, finding its way to his neck and burrowing deep into his skin.

Thomas convulsed, his body rebelling against the intrusion as he fought to resist. Yet, within moments, his struggles slowed. His movements became eerily mechanical, and when he finally stood upright, his eyes burned with a dark, otherworldly energy, the familiar light of his personality drowned beneath it.

Anthony materialized nearby in a flash of emerald light. His stance was cautious, his gaze searching. "Thomas...?" he called out hesitantly, as if hoping his friend would recognize him.

Before Anthony could react further, Thomas unleashed a torrent of electrical bolts, the energy slamming into Anthony's metallic frame, crackling harmlessly against his reinforced armor.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Anthony exclaimed, the screen on his  head flashing a frustrated '-_-' emoticon. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, grabbing the corrupted Thomas by the ankle. With a resounding crash, Anthony slammed him into the ground, debris and shrapnel erupting around them.

Anthony's glowing core dimmed slightly as he steadied himself, preparing to extract the parasite. But his focus was abruptly pulled away by movement on the battlefield. In the distance, Diego appeared, flanked by Umbrìo operatives and dark mages, their formation tightening as they encircled Anthony like predators closing in on their prey. Shadows and flickering energy surged around them, the weight of their intent palpable.

Anthony's stance shifted, readying himself for yet another relentless fight. "Oh, great. A welcoming committee," he muttered, his monitor flashing an unimpressed '¯\_(ツ)_/¯'. The tension thickened as the battlefield prepared to ignite once more.

Crimson beams sizzled through the air, and rockets screamed as a chaotic new battle erupted nearby. The clash was a cacophony of destruction, drawing Douglas' gaze. For a fleeting moment, he allowed himself a twisted smirk, reveling in the carnage unfolding before him. His guard dropped, his focus lost in the chaos.

Ryan saw his opening.

With a burst of plasma energy, Ryan rocketed toward Douglas, his Tritanide-enhanced speed turning him into a blur. In an instant, he clamped his hand around Douglas' head, lifting him effortlessly. With a fierce, wordless cry, Ryan propelled both of them skyward before diving back down with blistering velocity.

The impact was devastating. Douglas' head smashed into the ground, sending a shockwave of dust and debris cascading outward. The battlefield seemed to pause for a moment, as if stunned by the sheer force of the attack.

"YOU'RE MINE!" Ryan bellowed, his voice raw with vengeance, his emotions unleashed. His shoulder cannons hummed ominously, plasma surging as they locked onto their target. Twin yellow beams erupted from them, converging on Douglas' face with merciless precision.

Douglas roared in agony, the searing energy burning his skin. His exosuit sparked and hissed, fractures forming across its once-imposing armor. Ryan loomed above, unrelenting, his determination blazing brighter than the plasma coursing through his weapons.

In the distance, an Umbrìo operative seized the moment, hurling a grenade at Ryan's exposed back. The explosive detonated just as a rocket followed, colliding with Ryan and forcing him to stagger, his plasma cannons silenced mid-charge. Ryan whirled around, his fiery gaze locking onto the operative, who was already retreating.

Ryan closed the distance in an instant, his Tritanide-enhanced strength driving a devastating punch into the operative's gut. The impact sent the soldier sprawling across the battlefield, coughing up blood as he hit the ground.

Before Ryan could deliver the finishing blow, the ground beneath him shuddered violently. With a metallic screech, a miniature Umbrìo digging machine burst forth, its mechanical limbs latching onto Ryan's left leg. In a heartbeat, it detonated, unleashing a deafening explosion.

The force of the blast rippled outward, sending debris and combatants flying in all directions. Even Laura, who had been observing the clash from a safe vantage point, was knocked off her feet, landing hard as dust and chaos enveloped the battlefield.

Ryan's screams of agony tore through the battlefield, guttural and raw, each one a desperate cry as Douglas' torrent of fire and ice tore through his armor, burning and freezing him in equal measure. His Tritanide arm gripped Douglas' head with all the strength he could muster, his remaining shoulder cannon sputtering plasma that licked at his foe's already mangled face.

Douglas, in turn, let out a manic, guttural laugh that echoed like a dirge of madness. His voice dripped venom and twisted satisfaction, each burst of laughter a stark contrast to Ryan's groans of pain. It wasn't just laughter; it was the sound of a man reveling in dominance, in the suffering he inflicted. The clash of sounds—the primal agony of a man fighting for survival and the unhinged mirth of one who sought to snuff out that fight—painted a grotesque symphony of life and death.

"I'LL MAKE YOU JOIN YOSEF..." Douglas hissed, his wide, manic eyes locked on Ryan as he ripped a shoulder cannon free and shoved him down. His words dripped malice, the promise of death laced with sadistic pleasure.

Ryan, barely holding on, let out a guttural roar of his own, channeling every ounce of pain and fury into a defiant volley of plasma from his cannon. Douglas, still laughing, was wreathed in the destructive glow, his face mutilated and scorched as the two forces collided in a horrific dance of survival and cruelty.

Isaac appeared as a streak of yellow plasma, a blur of motion and defiance. His dagger found its mark, stabbing into Douglas' right eye with precision before he unleashed a volley of plasma at close range.

It wasn't enough.

Douglas, fully consumed by madness, retaliated with an explosive energy orb that sent Isaac staggering backward. On all fours, Isaac fought to rise, but Douglas was already upon him, delivering a brutal kick to his rear that sent him sprawling. Before Isaac could recover, another kick followed, merciless and calculated.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO VIOLATE ME LIKE THAT!" Isaac protested, his voice a mixture of pain and indignation.

Douglas didn't stop. A devastating barrage of beams tore into Isaac's back, ripping apart his exosuit as sparks and fragments scattered. Isaac, gasping for breath, turned to face Douglas in one last act of defiance, his plasma beam concentrated into a focused strike. Their attacks collided violently, but Douglas' counterattack overwhelmed Isaac's blaster, shattering it with ease.

"I'LL PAINT THE SKY WITH YOUR BLOOD!" Douglas roared, closing the distance with bladed energy weapons in hand. His strikes were relentless, severing Isaac's left ankle with a sickening squelch before slicing through his right leg. Blood poured from the wounds as Isaac crumpled to the ground, his strength ebbing.

Douglas staggered back, his laughter echoing with deranged glee. The sight of Isaac's agony seemed to feed his twisted pleasure.

Anthony, locked in combat with Diego, turned at the sound. His eyes locked onto the brutal scene, and without hesitation, he phased between Isaac and Douglas. His blade moved like a force of nature, severing Douglas' left arm in a single, precise motion before slicing deep into his abdomen, further damaging his exosuit. With serpentine speed, Anthony's mechanical claws struck Douglas' shoulder, eliciting a scream of raw terror.

"WAITTTT!" Douglas pleaded, his manic bravado giving way to desperation. "YOU NEED ME AGAINST THE TRITANIDES!"

Anthony's voice was cold, final. "ONLY YOUR HEAD!"

Launching into the air, Anthony tackled Douglas, coupling the assault with a devastating energy beam. Though Douglas managed to evade the tackle, the beam carved into his remaining shoulder, forcing a groan of pain as his body faltered.

"NOW DIE!" Anthony bellowed, his form radiating with fury. His remaining shoulder monitor aimed at Douglas, flashing a sickening red. A maddening, discordant symphony erupted from the monitors as he activated his hypnotic radiation.

Douglas staggered, his eyes squeezed shut as he raised a holographic shield, groaning in agony. The hypnotic waves battered his mind, weakening his resolve and leaving his bloodied, battered form barely standing. His exosuit, now little more than a smoldering ruin, sparked and caught fire as the battlefield began to tilt against him.

Douglas's fear was palpable as he watched his left arm, now under the influence of Anthony's hypnotic radiation, lash out at him. With a desperate twist, he narrowly evaded the clawed appendage, stumbling backward. His body shivered, each breath ragged and uneven.

Then something shifted.

His trembling ceased, replaced by a calm, unyielding composure. Slowly, he opened his remaining eye, now blazing with fierce resolve.

"No," he declared, his voice steady and defiant. "I WILL survive."

In an instant, his entire form erupted with power. Rings of fire and ice encircled him, their intensity growing with each passing second. The air warped around him, charged with the energy of his awakening. With a sudden burst of speed, Douglas surged forward, his holographic shield leading the way. He rammed into Anthony with unrelenting force, sending the cyborg warrior staggering back before Douglas took to the skies once more, retreating into the chaos of the battlefield.

Anthony rose to his feet with deliberate calm, his expression betraying no hint of pain or rage. But as he gripped his blade, his resolve became clear. He drove the weapon into a nearby outpost, unleashing a deafening roar that reverberated across the battlefield. The ground beneath them quaked as if in response to his fury, dust and debris cascading around him.

"I will get you..." he vowed, his voice a low, menacing growl. His faceplate displayed an emoticon—'>:('—but instead of its usual emerald green glow, the text flickered a violent, deadly red.

In a storm of spinning black smog and crackling emerald thunder, Anthony disappeared, teleporting away to hunt his foe.