As the light in the demon's hand intensified, a terrifying roar shook the entire place. It was the sound of collapsing structures, an echo of destruction coming from the upper floors of the infirmary.

  Suddenly, something tore through the ceiling.

  Mika and I saw it.

  A figure descended like a lightning bolt, illuminating the clouds that blocked the sun for a fleeting moment. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the demon before it could even react. A divine judgment. A swift, merciless punishment.

  "The Hammer of the Empire."

  The being that stood before us resembled a demon itself, yet something about it was different. Tall, sleek, clad in silver armor that reflected the light of the destruction around it. But its appearance wasn't what mattered—it was the insignia on its suit… A symbol carried only by those men who belonged in history books.

  "A war hero."

  With precise movement, the figure reached for its helmet, activating a side communicator.

  —"Reporting to central command. I was expelled from the ship and have landed in what appears to be a city. Requesting extraction."

  Its message was interrupted.

  —"Sir… can you take us with you?" Mika's voice was weak, trembling on the verge of collapse.

  The warrior lowered his gaze.

  —"At least… take her," I murmured, struggling to speak. "Please..."

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  —"Your injuries are severe," he replied. "Save your strength."

  Mika, gathering what little energy she had left, insisted:

  —"There's a bunker nearby… If you can take us there, we'd be grateful."

  The warrior's visor flashed briefly.

  —"System, locate a civilian bunker."

  "Searching for refuge… 10 kilometers northeast. Calculating the safest route."

  He returned to his communicator.

  —"Central, change of plans. Cancel the extraction. I have another matter to attend to."

  —"You can't do that!" a voice barked through the channel. "The border will fall if you don't hurry! This can wait!"

  —"I understand… I'll handle this quickly and return for extraction."

  His eyes met ours, filled with unwavering resolve.

  —"You'll be safe now. I'll take care of this."

  But before he could move, a metallic sound interrupted him.

  Something was approaching.

  Mika and I tensed. We were powerless. Completely at the mercy of those things.

  —"Take Mika and go! Get her out of here! Leave me if you have to—just save her!"

  Figures emerged from the massive hole in the ceiling. "Demons." Cold, expressionless metal constructs, built solely to destroy. There were more than ten. And they seemed… pleased to see humans.

  The warrior cracked his knuckles within his armor.

  —"Finally..." His voice carried a hint of excitement. "It's been too long since I had some real fun."

  His blue visor flickered. Then, red.

  —"Decompression at 20%!"

  His arm expanded, revealing concealed energy cannons within its structure.

  The blast was blinding.

  When the light faded, nothing remained.

  The weapons retracted into his armor as if they had never existed. But before we could even process what had just happened…

  The ground groaned.

  The walls split apart.

  So many battles had weakened the structure. Now, it was coming down.

  The warrior didn't hesitate. He seized us in his arms and, activating his propulsion, launched us away from the collapsing ruins.

  Behind us, the infirmary crumbled in a deafening roar—a final testament to the destruction that had overtaken this place.

  As we landed, he carefully set us down.

  —"I can't take you all the way to the bunker," he said. "But you'll be safe now. My system detects no more demons in the vicinity."

  Mika and I simply nodded, too exhausted to speak but deeply grateful.

  Without another word, the armored man propelled himself skyward at impossible speed—vanishing into the horizon..