Jack’s eyes snapped toward the source of the sound. Smoke engulfed the lower section of the dam. A large crack snaked across the wall, visibly propagating.

  Water gushed violently through a gaping hole — ten metres wide — sending scaffolding, equipment, and tools flying in all directions.

  The nearby work crews clung desperately to their lifeline slings, screaming for their lives.

  “Holy Gaia! Order them to evacuate now!” Jack roared through the comm.

  Simultaneously, he moved his Armatus toward the flooding water. In the background, Petra issued the evacuation order for all work crews to abandon their positions.

  Jack hovered over the trembling structure. His Armatus loomed near the scaffolding, where a worker dangled precariously from a sling.

  Frain and Lupus disembarked.

  Jack’s voice came through the comm.

  “Come back to me safely, you two!”

  “You too, my love!” Lupus called back before dashing forward.

  She manoeuvred mid-air, grabbed the worker, and clicked her arc boot to perform a double jump, landing nimbly on the scaffolding walkway with the man secured over her shoulder.

  “Stay safe!” Frain said before darting toward another worker struggling to find footing.

  With swift precision, she caught him by the waist, lifted him, and in one seamless motion, grabbed another woman before bolting away.

  Lupus and Frain moved with urgency, transporting the stranded work crews to stable ground.

  Meanwhile, Rhok, having safely delivered the princess and Friederich to the top of the dam, returned to Jack’s side.

  Jack hastily lowered another passenger from his Armatus’s hands.

  The man shouted his thanks over the howling wind before sprinting towards solid ground on the mountainside.

  In the background, Lupus, Frain, and Friederich continued their desperate race against disaster, using their mobility to rescue the remaining workers.

  “We might be able to contain it!” Rhok spoke, his tone steady as stone, eyes fixed on the ever-growing hole spilling water like a massive jet stream.

  Then, without hesitation, he activated his shield protocol and flew directly into the torrent.

  “Rhok! No!” Jack shouted, but the man didn’t heed his warning.

  Slowly and methodically, Rhok pressed his Armatus closer to the fractured wall, his shield clashing against the force of the surging water.

  Deafening turbulence echoed through his hull.

  “This is the only way!” Rhok yelled.

  His eyes gleamed with exhilaration — the thrill of defying death once more.

  His fingers flicked the thrusters to maximise output, and the arcanite engine roared to life, surging with energy.

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  Struggling against the relentless torrent, his Armatus vibrated violently, jerking under the immense pressure.

  Rhok’s heart pounded as he faced the sheer force of nature. The unyielding jet of water slammed into his shield, exploding outward in chaotic bursts.

  “Come on! Come on!” he bellowed over the deafening roar, his Armatus holding firm, his resolve unshaken.

  Yet, against such an overwhelming force, the Armatus barely moved an inch.

  Then—

  A sudden jolt from behind sent him lurching forward toward the rupture.

  “Jack!?” he shouted in shock.

  Jack’s Armatus was right behind him, pushing him forward.

  “We stand together, brother,” Jack’s husky voice crackled over the comm, absurdly courageous.

  A grin spread across Rhok’s face.

  “Yes, brother!”

  The two Armatus units roared in unison, driving forward. Even the monstrous flood seemed to yield before them.

  Rhok outstretched his hands, reaching for the jagged concrete edge.

  “Come on! We’re so close now!”

  But the water fought back, pushing his grasp away at the last moment.

  “Rhok, on three!” Jack called, his voice strained.

  “Yes!” Rhok snapped back.

  The countdown began.

  Three… two… one—

  “Now!” Jack roared, his thrusters surging into overdrive.

  The red glow of his jets intensified, condensing into a blazing blue flame as Rhok’s Armatus rocketed forward, straight into the gaping hole.

  The moment his giant frame breached the opening, Rhok thrust his arms upwards, pressing against the jagged edges of the upper rim. At the same time, his legs braced against the lower section, locking his metal frame into place like a living bulkhead.

  Water crashed against him with crushing intensity, but his barrier shields flared, dispersing the impact in shimmering, translucent waves. The flood churned and howled, seeking an escape, but there was none — his Armatus had become the dam’s final wall.

  The pressure built. The structure groaned under the immense strain.

  Yet, Rhok held firm.

  His machine was now the unbreakable wedge sealing the breach.

  “We did it!” Jack’s relieved laughter crackled through the comm. “Hahaha! You crazy knight!”

  Panting, Rhok clutched his chest, feeling his heart racing.

  “Yeah… thanks for that…”

  Not even three minutes had passed—

  Boom!

  Half a klick away, another section of the dam erupted, sending debris flying in all directions.

  “Oh no!” Jack spun around, his eyes widening as he caught a glimpse of Frain being thrown out of the smoke. She must have been near the explosion.

  “Go!” Rhok ordered, snapping Jack back to the moment.

  Jack reacted instantly, tearing through the air.

  Frain plummeted toward the abyss below.

  “Frain!” Jack shouted, pushing his Armatus past the speed of sound in seconds.

  Suddenly, a white glyph streaked through the air at an imperceptible speed, striking Frain mid-fall.

  Jack braked his Armatus, eyes narrowing.

  “What is that?!” he exclaimed.

  Frain’s purple eyes fluttered open, still half-dazed from the impact.

  She was… floating?

  “Huh? I can fly?!” she muttered, blinking at the pale blue light now radiating from her body. Strands of her blonde hair waved in the air like silk.

  “Greeting! Lenny Hoffmann reporting for duty!”

  A cheerful voice rang out above as Lenny waved enthusiastically. Behind her, Larry hovered in place, both mages balanced on a flying staff.

  “Thanks, big sis Lenny! Big sis Larry!” Frain called, flashing a sheepish grin as Lenny used her telekinesis to guide her safely to the ground.

  “Are you alright?” “Frain-y! You good?” Jack and Lupus spoke at almost the same time through the comm.

  “Umm, umm!” she hummed, nodding quickly.

  “Thank goodness!” Jack sighed.

  After ensuring Frain’s safety, his gaze shifted back toward Rhok.

  He was holding out fine — for now.

  But Jack knew it was his turn to seal the new rupture.

  Steeling his resolve, he activated his barrier.

  The Armatus surged forward, ripping through the air.

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