And was called...

- 7:30 PM

Luck is seemingly not on his side at any time, the bullets slipped off the creature's exoskeleton as if they were made of butter.

Heavy weaponry did not change the situation, only the cannon could alter the course of the encounter.... However.

"It's not working" Kelly was anxious at the non-existent cooperation of that tool.

Zeke sighed deeply, he stared at his backpack helplessly "Jack, there's no way to win...".

Jack swallowed saliva, set the maximum pressure the engine could withstand, greatly increasing the ship's speed "How fast is it coming?".

"The approach is minuscule, at least a hundredth every minute."

"..." Jack looked inquisitively at the command center ｢Who wouldn't appreciate a miracle at times like this?｣.

He sighed in despair "Look for parachutes. It will most likely intercept us shortly after we enter the atmosphere".

The rest of the trip was filled with an oppressively gloomy atmosphere, with time counting down, doom simply approaching. Meanwhile, they watched the undeniable end getting more and more closer.

And just as that happened, the moment the creature made contact with the ship, the group was in free fall.

Jack took advantage of the instant the creature thought it had done its job to get a clearer view.

｢... Horrible｣ Outside of its strange shape, on the outside it looks like a robotic design completely covered in metal, however, its eyes appear entirely organic.

From its back stretched an ionized tarp that broke its fall. He pulled out his submachine gun and aimed at the creature's eyes.

By the time it felt the first explosion, the second had already occurred. Its eyeballs disappeared in an extremely short instance of time.

Confusion drowned the creature, stripped of its vision, it resorted to a desperate and confused attack.

It charged in all directions, with metallic appendages that took off from its armor.

"Hey guys how do I activate it?" Brendan asked nervously.

Zeke narrowed his eyes and pointed to a button on the belt covering his chest.

This made Jack lose his tension, as it happened almost instantly after.

On the other hand, his tension quickly increased, it immediately returned ｢.... What the hell is it? ｣.

He held his breath, from any perspective they were at a disadvantage. Resignedly he pointed above himself "At least he's lost his sight.... We'll have to figure out how to make it lose track of us."

Zeke sighed "At this point.... I'm glad I saved some, Cover your ears!".

He cinched his backpack on his left arm, rummaged around with the opposite until he came across tiny spheres which he hurled at the living fortress.

The sky lost its brightness, dulled by expansive flashes of light, an amalgam of destruction embodied in a massive ring of explosions. The dazzling act, which made it impossible to see anything else, was followed by a sound so frighteningly thunderous that the pressure pushed them at great speed.

Time seemed to froze... However, an insistent noise replaced the silence, an uninterrupted and invasive beeping.

When Jack opened his eyes, he could barely see anything, a barrier of sand blocking his view.

He threw the parachute to the ground and moved forward, with each step his vision cleared.

A few meters away from him, he was able to see an incomplete metal pyramid, as if one of its faces had been torn off. The rest was covered with blood and pieces of flesh.

He did not want to get any closer, instead he waited.

It barely took time for the sand to become more pronounced. By this time he was able to hear the wind whistling, but it was still diffuse and the volume of the whistling did not decrease.

Not far away, he noticed Kelly next to Zeke. He hurried towards them, being that they were not moving, he quickly caught up with them.

Jack sighed in relief at the sight of them ｢Seem to be unharmed...｣.

He tried to utter a few words, but even he was unable to hear himself clearly.

He was thinking of a way to communicate when he saw Ledia holding Brendan on her back, walking towards them.

Then he pointed towards her and they both turned in that direction.

Zeke approached to help her, Brendan held onto their shoulders, totally unconscious.

When Jack took a detailed look at Brendan, he was silent, blood spurting from his lips ｢.... Apparently he was too close to the explosion｣.

Jack also walked over and checked his vitals ｢He's still alive.... At least｣ As he continued to check, he came across something strange, in his fingertips he could feel Brendan's heartbeat echoing in a crystal.... In the same place as his heart.

"It doesn't look like he's going to recover soon, however he's not in danger" He wiped the spilled blood and with Ledia's help he took it with him.

Jack was trying to understand what he detected in Brendan, on the other hand Kelly interrupted him saying "Which way should we go?".

He simply pointed north "In that direction, there should be a city".

"How did you kn-" She asked, however her voice didn't reach him and he was already walking away.

She sighed, resigning herself to any possibility and followed him closely.

Jack scanned the horizon, various issues were on his mind.... His steps slowed as he neared the culmination of what he could deduce. Resigned to the evidence he said "They have left the earth, only remained the weaklings who were abandoned by the beasts capable of transporting off the planet. The worst thing is to imagine what kind of beasts were transported to other planets".

｢I can't imagine a scenario where the counter-offensive happens before three months... by that time the wreckage will be innumerable｣.

Kelly paused to think, and decided to ease the tension "Tonight will be of great importance.... I suppose it will have a spectacular name, perhaps, the night of the great massacre."

Jack shook his head and said "I believe it will be recognized in the history books as, the great nightfall."

"We'll see" Kelly replied with a yawn.

Jack laughed a little "Shall we bet?".

Kelly smiled "Let's bet."

✠ - ✠

- Location: ogch orbital base.

Beatrice appeared before Otis, casting a hologram in his direction "Sir, we finally resumed communications.... We are receiving distress signals from twenty-four human colonies. Leaving their relation to the invasion, the data department predicts the partial or complete destruction of these... Accounting for about twenty billion dead".

Otis shook his head bitterly, it was to be expected. And yet, that dark vault that always observes from the window did not even flinch, even though tonight it was covered in blood "Poor souls.... At least, we should decorate this night for their later remembrance" he turned his gaze to Beatrice "How about the night of the great nightfall?".

Beatrice frowned "Great?".

Otis said haughtily "Maybe of great it doesn't have much, however, it sounds good. Besides I'm sure when we win it will be the great sunrise and it wouldn't combine with the night of the great massacre."

Beatrice for some reason felt better to see the general so sure of winning as to be joking and grimaced, if only a little. He really did feel like a father. But her look quickly waned "I hope Jack is all right."

Otis smiled before returning to his desk and saying "Don't worry, he's our best agent.... Plus he just got upgrades not too long ago."

Surprised and confused Beatrice asked "Upgrades? In what way?"

Otis yawned, there was really little to say ｢Seems like he intentionally kept it from her...｣ "Biotic enhancements."

Beatrice's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, she couldn't help but scream "What?, how?, when?, why?".