Altopereh did not hesitate. The moment Amnesia came out of the rupture in space and its massive frame cast its shadow over the broken Hound, Youri moved — with no warning and no declaration, only action. The gray aura around Altopereh flared violently as it surged forward, its plasma blade stretching into a colossal edge of annihilation. The distance between it and the ship collapsed in an instant, space itself folding under the force of its acceleration.
On Amnesia's bridge the alarms screamed. "Impact trajectory confirmed!" an operator shouted, his hands trembling over the console. "We can't evade at that speed!"
Dellor's face hardened, and his voice cut through the chaos with sharp authority. "Shields to maximum output. Redirect all non-essential systems — now!"
The ship answered at once. The crimson veins along its hull pulsed brighter as its defensive systems surged to life. A layered barrier formed around the vessel, dense, reactive and designed to absorb catastrophic force. It wouldn't be enough.
Altopereh struck. Its blade met the shield in a blinding explosion of gray and red energy. The shockwave rippled across the battlefield, warping space and scattering debris in every direction. The shield held — for a second. Then it cracked, fractures spreading across it like shattered glass as Altopereh pushed deeper, its blade grinding against the resistance and carving into the very field that was meant to stop it, until the whole structure of the ship groaned.
"Structural stress exceeding limits!" another voice shouted. "We're going to lose the outer layer!"
Dellor clenched his jaw. "Return fire! All batteries — focus on that unit!"
The ship answered with fury. The massive cannons along its hull ignited together and unleashed a barrage of concentrated beams and plasma bursts. The void lit up as dozens of weapons converged on Altopereh and detonated across its frame in rapid succession. For a moment it disappeared inside the storm. And then it stepped through it. Altopereh came out of the barrage scorched but unstoppable, its armor smoking and fragments drifting away from its frame, its core burning brighter than ever, its blade steady and unwavering.
Youri's eyes didn't move. "Move," he muttered, and Altopereh obeyed. It vanished and reappeared above Amnesia, driving down in a crushing strike that tore through what was left of the shield and bit into the outer hull. Metal screamed as the cut ran across the ship's surface, splitting its armor and exposing the structures beneath.
"Decks seven through twelve breached!" came the panicked report. "We're losing containment!"
Dellor slammed his fist on the console. "Get the Hound inside — now!"
Below, the recovery systems activated. Mechanical arms reached out from the ship's underbelly, locked onto the crippled Hound and dragged it in through the hangar bay — Larsen's unit hanging lifeless, its once-terrifying form reduced to a shattered shell. Serin stood frozen at the viewport, watching it disappear into the ship. "Larsen…" she whispered. But there was no time.
"Emergency jump!" Dellor ordered. "We're pulling back to Seron — prepare for warp!"
"Coordinates locked!"
"Drive unstable—"
"I don't care! Execute it!"
The ship shook violently as its engines flared beyond their safe limits and space behind it began to warp into the familiar ripple of a transition. But Altopereh was still there, and it wasn't letting go. Youri saw the warp forming, and instead of retreating, he advanced. Altopereh surged forward and closed the gap just as Amnesia began to slip into the distortion. Its massive hand shot out and grabbed the ship.
For a moment everything froze: a God Unit, holding a warship in the middle of a warp. The fabric of space twisted violently around them, unstable and collapsing inward as the transition fought to complete. And then they vanished together.
Over Seron the skies were burning. The battle above the planet had already reached its peak, Terrian fleets clashing with what remained of the Progressive Union's forces and explosions lighting the atmosphere like artificial stars. Then reality tore open. Amnesia burst into orbit with its hull torn, its engines failing, its systems flickering, struggling to stabilize and barely holding altitude as it came out of the warped transition. But it wasn't alone. Altopereh had come with it, still holding on, still relentless, and the sight alone sent a shock through both sides of the battlefield.
On the surface, Trevor Mosioh saw it. He stood near the colossal cannon installation, its massive structure towering over the rocky ground while engineers and soldiers scrambled around him and shouted over the chaos, trying to stabilize the systems. Trevor heard none of them. His eyes were locked on the sky, on that shape, on that presence. And in that instant, he remembered Youri — the man he had mocked, the man he had underestimated, the man who had once looked at him with eyes that promised death. His legs began to tremble. "…No," he whispered, and his voice broke. "He's here…"
Above, Altopereh released the ship. Amnesia fell away with its engines barely catching and drifted off toward the far side of the battlefield. It had taken too much damage. It could not fight anymore. Youri didn't follow. Instead, he turned toward the planet — toward the source — and Altopereh rose higher into the sky, its massive form a silhouette against Seron's burning atmosphere. Its internal structures shifted and realigned as a new weapon began to form. The anti-matter cannon.
General Vartellis's voice cut through the comms. "Duke! We have an opening! The perimeter is collapsing — you have a clear shot!"
Youri looked down at the base, at the cannon, at the people, at everything. Then he spoke, cold and final. "…You can have the remaining minutes."
He didn't wait for an answer. Altopereh surged upward through the upper atmosphere and back into open space, its systems locking into position as the cannon fully deployed and energy began to gather at its core. The void grew quiet, and time slowed.
Inside the cockpit Youri closed his eyes, and once again he found himself in the abyss. Endless water stretched in every direction, silent and infinite, its weight pressing against him — not crushing, but consuming — while Altopereh moved beneath the surface, a massive shape circling, watching. Then it spoke, and its voice was deeper than before. Ancient. Satisfied.
"Now… the power I promised you." The water around them began to glow faintly as energy gathered and pulsed through the abyss like a living heartbeat. "It has lain dormant within me, waiting. I saved it for someone worthy." It rose slowly, its massive form breaking the surface and towering over him. Youri looked up at it and smiled. "And I give it to you."
The energy intensified, and the abyss trembled as power beyond comprehension surged through Altopereh's core. Then came a pause, and a warning. "Know this. Once you fire…" The water stilled. "…we may not return."
Silence followed, and Youri's smile didn't fade. "…That sounds like the perfect way to perish."