Both sat upright instantly.
"Lanni!" Euly burst in, his face drenched in panic. "We were gaurding the gates when we were ambushed by several Delta robots, they're everywhere! They're taking people!"
Lanni's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Another soldier rushed in behind him, gasping for breath. "It's the Selection! The King has reinstated the annual Selection, they've already taken several Zoners!"
Hido's blood ran cold. "You can't be serious..."
Loanni swung her legs off the bed, already reaching for her armor. "Hido, gather the soldiers. I'll rally the other Knights."
The streets erupted in terror.
Delta robots poured into the Zoner districts, metal bodies glinting under moonlight. Flamethrowers ignited homes, fire licking across rooftops.
The already-crippled converter machines exploded into sparks as the Deltas smashed them apart. Families fled, screams piercing the night.
One Delta spotted Ms. Mary. Its mechanical voice boomed:
"You have been chosen for the Selection."
She bolted, but her foot caught, and she fell. Terror consumed her face as the machine's claw seized her dress, dragging her along the concrete.
"No! Please, no!"
A blade flashed.
"Art of the Knight, Gray Sword!"
Raffi's steel cleaved through the Delta, sparks and wires raining down.
He caught Ms. Mary in his arms as the robot split apart.
"Raffi..." she whispered, tears spilling down her face.
He held her close, jaw tight. "I'm sorry, Ms. Mary. Damn those Royals..."
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Elsewhere, two children huddled in fear as a Delta squad raised flamethrowers.
"This does not concern you. By order of the King, these children are property of the Selection," the machines droned.
A figure stepped forward, her blade already in hand. Naggi's eyes blazed.
"I don't care who sent you," she growled. "You will not frighten children in front of me."
"Interference by a Zoner Knight will not be tolerated," the robots replied.
"Art of the Knight, Copper Sword!"
Her weapon shimmered into existence. Flames roared, but Naggi spun, her blade carving arcs that bent the fire back in a whirlwind. She cut through three machines in a single rhythmic dance, each motion elegant, deadly.
The children stared up at her in awe as sparks scattered like fireflies.
Everywhere, battle raged.
Euly and Hido led soldiers against the onslaught, wooden spears splintering against steel. Some soldiers screamed as flames consumed them. The air was thick with smoke and fire.
Jett pushed through the chaos, shouting.
"Everyone, calm down! We can still negotiate! Violence cannot always be the answer!"
But his words fell to ash. No one listened. Not even he seemed to believe himself.
On the far side of the district, Delta units stormed into homes, slaughtering anyone caught painting or writing. Poems burned, canvases turned to ash, ink-stained journals trampled into the mud. Dead bodies lined the streets, their art destroyed with them.
Then, cutting through the screams, came the sound of blades.
"Art of the Knight, Bronze Sword!"
Euly charged, his bronze weapon tearing through a Delta's torso. Sparks showered around him as more machines fell.
Beside him, Lonnie's voice rang sharp:
"Art of the Knight, Moon Sword!"
Her blade shimmered pale silver as she sliced through steel. Hido followed, thrusting his spear through the head of a weakened Delta, circuits sparking as it collapsed.
"Hido!" Lanni shouted over the flames. "Where are the people who were taken?"
"Soldiers say they're being moved in a large transport vehicle!" he called back.
Lanni's eyes narrowed. "I see. We were ambushed... Things have changed. Hido, protect the Zoners. I'll go after them."
Her Abi surged, and from nothing, a sturdy horse-drawn carriage manifested, glowing with ethereal force. She mounted it swiftly.
"Wait, Lanni! You aren't going alone, are you?" Hido cried.
"I'll be fine," she said, her gaze locked ahead.
"Lanni!"
But the carriage thundered off into the night.
Her wrist device blinked. She pressed it, a screen lighting with the face of Grutix.
"Grutix," Lanni said.
His voice came ragged, furious. "Lanni... you heard the news?"
"You mean the Deltas."
"Yeah. So it's true, the King's brought the Selection back?"
Lanni's jaw tightened. "That's what it looks like."
Grutix's voice cracked. "They attacked Berryville. They... they took Mama Bear Grixie."
Lanni's breath hitched, grief flashing across her face. "...I'm sorry, Grutix."
"Where are you headed?"
"The transport. I'll free the taken before they reach the Kingdom."
A pause. Then Grutix growled. "Then maybe we're after the same cargo ship. My tribe's best are already on the move. What do you say, Knight? Bears and Zoners side by side?"
Lanni's lips curved faintly. "If your tribe accepts... then yes."
"They will. Two of ours are already hunting that ship."
"Then I'll do my best to beat them to it."
She tightened the reins. The spectral carriage blazed through the burning night, sparks flying beneath its wheels.