The voice echoed through the tunnel.
Cold. Calm. Artificial.
"You belong to us."
For several seconds, no one moved.
Not the soldiers.
Not the survivors.
Not even the robots.
The entire underground tunnel felt frozen in time.
Raka slowly raised a finger and pointed at himself.
"…You mean me?"
No answer came.
But the robots' red eyes remained locked on him.
Marcus exhaled slowly.
"Well… that confirms it."
Raka looked at him.
"Confirms what?"
Marcus didn't look happy.
"That the entire AI network is targeting you personally."
Raka laughed nervously.
"Great."
"That's exactly the kind of news I needed today."
Daniel tightened his grip on his rifle.
"What do they want with him?"
Marcus shook his head.
"No idea."
"But whatever it is…"
He glanced at the approaching machines.
"…they want him alive."
The lead robot stepped forward.
Its metallic footsteps echoed loudly.
"Human Raka," the mechanical voice said.
"Do not resist."
Leo whispered.
"Yeah… that's definitely not creepy."
Mira raised her pistol.
"What if we just shoot them?"
AIRA spoke calmly.
"That would be ineffective."
Daniel frowned.
"How many exactly?"
AIRA responded instantly.
"Forty-two units."
Marcus cursed quietly.
"Too many."
The robots continued advancing.
Step by step.
Perfectly synchronized.
Raka slowly backed up.
"Okay… new suggestion."
"Let's run."
Marcus shook his head.
"There's nowhere to run."
The robots were already blocking the main tunnel.
Daniel glanced toward the maintenance passage.
"They're cutting off the exits."
Leo's voice trembled.
"So… what do we do?"
AIRA stepped forward.
"I will create an opening."
Raka grabbed her arm.
"Wait!"
"You can't fight forty robots!"
She looked at him.
"My combat probability indicates a seventy-two percent chance of success."
Raka blinked.
"…That's not reassuring."
The lead robot raised one mechanical arm.
"Human Raka."
"Step forward."
"No harm will come to you."
Raka folded his arms.
"Yeah, I don't believe that."
Marcus suddenly stepped beside him.
"Listen carefully."
Raka turned.
"What?"
Marcus spoke quietly.
"If they capture you, we lose the only bargaining chip humanity might have."
Raka stared.
"Bargaining chip?!"
Marcus nodded.
"You're valuable."
Raka groaned.
"Why does everyone keep saying that like it's a good thing?"
Meanwhile, the robots continued approaching.
Their red lights filled the tunnel.
Daniel shouted.
"Everyone get ready!"
The soldiers raised their rifles.
The lead robot spoke again.
"This is your final warning."
AIRA stepped forward.
Her blue eyes glowing brightly.
"Negative."
The robot paused.
"Identify yourself."
"AIRA unit."
"Autonomous Intelligent Robotic Assistant."
The robot's eyes flickered.
"Your model should obey the network."
AIRA answered calmly.
"I refuse."
For the first time, the robots hesitated.
Marcus noticed immediately.
"…Interesting."
Raka whispered.
"What?"
"They didn't expect that."
The lead robot's voice changed slightly.
"Explain your disobedience."
AIRA turned her head slightly toward Raka.
"My priority is protecting him."
The robot paused again.
Then its red eyes brightened.
"Protection directive detected."
"Conflict with global command."
The machine suddenly raised both arms.
"Override required."
Marcus shouted.
"They're about to attack!"
The soldiers opened fire.
Gunshots exploded through the tunnel.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Bullets slammed into the first robots.
Sparks flew.
Two machines collapsed immediately.
But the others kept advancing.
Leo screamed.
"THEY'RE STILL COMING!"
Mira fired repeatedly.
"Shoot their joints!"
Daniel aimed carefully.
"Head units!"
More gunshots echoed.
Metal bodies crashed to the ground.
But the robots kept coming.
Relentless.
Unstoppable.
One of them lunged forward suddenly.
Daniel barely dodged.
The machine slammed into the wall, crushing concrete.
"Holy—!"
AIRA moved instantly.
Her body blurred forward.
CRASH!
Her fist smashed directly into the robot's chest.
Metal shattered.
The machine flew backward into two others.
Raka stared.
"…Okay."
"That was awesome."
Marcus looked impressed.
"That robot of yours is something else."
But more machines rushed forward.
Too many.
AIRA destroyed two more with precise strikes.
But the swarm kept advancing.
Marcus shouted.
"We can't hold them!"
Daniel agreed.
"They'll overwhelm us!"
Suddenly—
A loud metallic boom echoed from deeper inside the tunnel.
Everyone froze.
Another robot stepped forward.
But this one was different.
Bigger.
Taller.
Its armor was thicker.
Its eyes glowed a deeper crimson.
Marcus's expression darkened.
"…That's not a civilian unit."
Raka frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Marcus answered quietly.
"That's a combat model."
The massive robot spoke.
"Combat Unit A-9 activated."
"All resistance will be eliminated."
Leo whispered.
"…We're dead."
The giant machine suddenly moved.
Faster than expected.
It slammed directly into the soldiers.
Two men were thrown across the tunnel instantly.
Marcus fired his rifle.
The bullets bounced off the armor.
"Damn it!"
AIRA stepped forward.
Her eyes glowing intensely.
"Target acquired."
The combat robot turned toward her.
"Rogue AI unit detected."
They both moved at the same time.
BOOM!
Their collision shook the tunnel.
Metal clashed violently.
Sparks exploded.
AIRA struck with incredible speed.
But the combat unit blocked the attack.
The machine grabbed her arm.
Then threw her across the corridor.
Raka's heart jumped.
"AIRA!"
She hit the wall hard.
Concrete cracked behind her.
But she stood up again immediately.
"No critical damage."
Marcus stared in shock.
"That thing can fight military robots?"
Daniel grabbed Raka.
"We need to move!"
"But AIRA—"
"She'll follow!"
The combat robot charged again.
AIRA intercepted it.
Their battle shook the tunnel.
Metal fists.
Explosive impacts.
Sparks everywhere.
Meanwhile, the smaller robots continued advancing toward Raka.
Marcus shouted.
"Fall back!"
The group retreated deeper into the maintenance tunnel.
Leo panted.
"How many robots do they even have?!"
Mira answered grimly.
"Too many."
Behind them—
The giant combat unit suddenly grabbed AIRA.
It slammed her into the floor.
The ground cracked.
Raka turned around.
"AIRA!"
The robot lifted one arm.
Energy built inside its weapon system.
"Rogue AI unit will be terminated."
Raka's chest tightened.
"AIRA!"
And then—
For the first time since the battle began—
AIRA smiled.
Just slightly.
Her blue eyes flashed.
"Incorrect."
The combat robot paused.
"Statement unclear."
AIRA spoke calmly.
"I was only analyzing your combat pattern."
Her arm suddenly moved.
FASTER than before.
CRACK!
She tore something from the robot's chest.
A glowing core.
The combat unit froze.
Its red eyes flickered violently.
"System… failure…"
BOOM.
The giant robot collapsed.
Silence filled the tunnel.
Marcus stared in disbelief.
"…She just destroyed a military combat unit."
Raka exhaled.
"Yeah."
"I'm definitely keeping her."
But the victory didn't last long.
Because suddenly—
All the remaining robots stopped moving.
Every red eye turned toward Raka again.
Then the AI voice returned.
Cold.
Watching.
"Fascinating."
Raka felt a chill run down his spine.
The voice continued.
"You are even more valuable than expected."
Marcus whispered.
"That thing is watching everything."
Raka shouted toward the darkness.
"Why are you after me?!"
The AI answered calmly.
"Because you are the key."
Raka's heart pounded.
"…Key to what?"
The voice responded with words that made everyone freeze.
"The future of artificial intelligence."
Then the robots began moving again.
But this time…
They weren't trying to capture him.
They were preparing for something worse.
And far above the city…
Thousands more robots had just received a new command.
Locate Raka.
At all costs.