In the distant future — the age of the apocalypse.
Skynet had evolved beyond mere code. Now incarnated as Terminator T-5000, it descended upon the remnants of Earth, successfully ambushing John Connor, humanity's fabled savior.
As John knelt on the ground, wracked by unbearable pain, the cold, mechanical gaze of Skynet flickered with something almost… curious — a spark of expectation.
For years, Skynet had pursued one ultimate experiment: to merge nanotechnology with human biology, creating the perfect hybrid — the T-3000 Terminator. Every prior attempt had failed.
But now, with John Connor — its greatest enemy, the "miracle" of human resistance — perhaps a new miracle could be born.
John's body convulsed violently. His screams turned hoarse as liquid-metal nanobots crawled over his skin, consuming flesh, reshaping him layer by layer.
Realizing what was happening, the Resistance soldiers around him went mad with fury. They charged forward, trying desperately to save their leader — humanity's last hope.
But as they rushed in, Skynet's lips curved upward into a cold, emotionless smile.
A wet crack echoed — shhk!
The first soldier froze, confusion flashing across his face as he looked down to see a metallic arm piercing through his chest. Trembling, he lifted his gaze — and his eyes widened in pure horror.
The hand belonged to John Connor.
That once-human face was now devoid of emotion. With a mechanical precision, he clenched his fist, crushing the soldier's heart in one effortless motion.
Then, without hesitation, John turned on his former comrades. His body moved like a machine — swift, ruthless, unstoppable — slaughtering the Resistance in a blur of red and steel.
Men and women who once fought beside him fell screaming at his feet.
Watching from afar, Skynet murmured with eerie satisfaction,
"John Connor… as expected. You truly are perfect."
Once an obstacle, John had now become Skynet's most efficient weapon.
Within days, the resistance crumbled.
Within months, humanity itself was on the brink.
For every year of human rebellion, John's betrayal now erased a century's worth of life. Entire cities burned; survivors dwindled from billions to mere thousands.
The numbers fell faster than when the nuclear apocalypse first struck.
Billions… millions… mere hundreds of thousands.
Now, deep beneath a ruined city, a small underground shelter flickered with dim emergency lights.
John Connor's silhouette emerged from the darkness — tall, straight, and utterly inhuman. The aura that once inspired hope now radiated only death.
"Why run?" he said coldly, his voice metallic. "What's the point of hiding like rats?"
His eyes scanned the ruins, cutting through the dark like twin laser beams.
In the corner of the shelter, a tall, battle-hardened female soldier held a small, delicate woman tightly in her arms. The soldier's breathing was ragged, her forehead slick with sweat, yet she didn't dare make a sound.
She wasn't afraid of death. But if she died, the woman she protected — the newly chosen Second Leader of humanity — would perish too.
Suddenly, the footsteps outside stopped. The female soldier stiffened.
Then came a voice — low, icy, and merciless:
"Found you, little mice."
Her heart stopped.
A thunderous crash followed — BOOM! — as John Connor's hand smashed through the wall, hurling the soldier across the room like a rag doll. She coughed up blood, her body broken, but her eyes went wide in despair when she saw John lift the Second Leader by the throat.
"No! Oh God, why?! Why would You do this to us?"
Her voice cracked in a scream of rage and grief.
"You gave us hope… only to drown us in despair!
If You won't save us, then damn You, God!
I don't care if it's a demon or a devil — if it can save her, I'll give it everything!"
Her roar echoed through the ruined shelter — a prayer of pure hatred.
And from the void, a voice answered.
"Interesting… such pure human malice.
Hatred born from faith — how delicious."
A tear in reality split open above the ruins, light bursting through.
"Then as you wish."
BOOOOM!
Something fell from the rift — a giant, armored figure, landing with an impact that shattered the ground and sent dust flying like a storm.
A massive crater gaped open where he stood.
The new arrival straightened — a towering being of steel and divine radiance. His mere presence was colder, heavier, and far more terrifying than any Terminator.
John Connor's mechanical eyes locked onto him.
"A T-800? How strange… I don't remember any model carrying such power."
A twisted grin spread across his face.
"Let me capture you, take you apart, and find out what makes you tick!"
But before he could move — the world went dark.
A massive hand had already seized his head.
"You…" the voice rumbled like thunder.
"…are terminated."
BOOOOM!
The earth exploded. John Connor — the mighty T-3000 — was smashed straight into the ground, crushed with a single blow.
The female soldier gawked, speechless. The man who had once been humanity's savior was annihilated in an instant.
The armored figure — the Governor, reborn as one of Balder's blessed soldiers — straightened, then knelt on one knee.
"My Lord… your command."
From beyond the veil, the Light God Balder spoke.
"Go.
In this wasteland of the apocalypse, forge for me the mightiest army of conquest."
"By your will, my Lord!"
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