The night had fallen, and the battlefield was nothing more than a sea of smoke and wreckage. Spearhead Squadron—Shin, Kurena, Theo, Anju, Raiden, you, and the rest—were fighting relentlessly against the final waves of Legion mechs, their relentless assault a symbol of the war that had defined every part of their lives.

For hours, you had been moving with precision, the sound of metal tearing and explosions echoing in the distance, the feeling of adrenaline pushing you to the limits. You could feel the weight of the squad’s exhaustion; the air was thick with the scent of gunpowder, blood, and oil.

In the midst of the battle, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this was it. The final mission. The one that would end it all. Not just for the Legion, but for you. For everyone. It felt as if every strike you made, every shot fired, every breath you took could be your last. And you weren’t sure how you felt about it. Fear? Acceptance? There was a strange sort of peace that had settled over you in the chaos.

Shin was there, as always—silent, focused. His crimson eyes were locked on his enemies, his every movement lethal, but you knew better. You knew him, perhaps better than anyone else. He was fighting just as much for you, for the squad, as he was for himself. And in that moment, as the battle raged on, you found yourself reaching for him—not physically, but emotionally. You didn’t need words. The connection was there, subtle yet undeniable.

Then came the final push.

An explosion rocked the ground beneath you, sending a shockwave through your mech’s systems. You were tossed backward, the screens flashing red as the internal alarms blared. Pain. Agony. Everything went dark.

The world had gone quiet. The last thing you remembered was a voice—Shin’s voice, calling your name. But it was fading, distant, lost to the chaos.